


Butterfly Affect

by gaitwae



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Awesome Darcy Lewis, Clint Barton's Farm, Darcy Lewis's Taser, Darcy Lewis-centric, Don't kill me please, F/M, Gen, I've always thought Darcy x Thor would be somewhat interesting, Loki is a Hero, Loki is an Avenger, Loki's a good guy, Minor Jane Foster/Thor, Other, Rare Pairings, SHIELD Agent Darcy Lewis, So I'm dabbling my hand in it, Time Stone, also time travel, darcy lewis deserved more screen time, i'm going to burn this house down and every ship inside, minor romanogers but it won't steal the stage i promise, there's going to be a lot of iPod mentionings and my little pony references, why not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 44,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaitwae/pseuds/gaitwae
Summary: DISCLAIMER: The title is intentionally spelled that way. Time travel involved, play on words ;)+-+--Something happened after the events of Ragnarok that send Loki and Thor back through time, with the help of Doctor Stephen Strange. Right at the events of... Thor's car crash? Everything's the same, even who they were, except that they remember their futures as if it were the past.Thor wants to find a way back home. Loki wonders if there was a reason they were sent to that specific time. Doctor Strange says that there's one thing that they can change. Darcy Lewis's future.+-+--
Relationships: Christine Palmer/Stephen Strange, Darcy Lewis & Thor, Darcy Lewis/Thor, Jane Foster/Thor (past), Loki/Sif (Marvel), Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 142
Kudos: 310





	1. TABLE OF CONTENTS

**Author's Note:**

> This work was started on April 29th, 2020. Hopefully, it'll be finished by April 29th, 2022. There are three parts. For each part, there will be 14 chapters or then some. It will be focusing on the canonical rewrites of Thor's story, Loki's story, Darcy's story, and Doctor Stephen Strange's story. Starting at the end of Ragnarok, moving forward through THOR (2011), then onto THE AVENGERS (2012), and finishing (hopefully) in THOR: the Dark World (2013). Questions and comments are appreciated so very much, and I can't thank you enough for stopping by! <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is where (hopefully) all the story parts will be easily accessible and sorted by movie/year the story takes place :)

_ **THOR (2011)** _

[Chapter I](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/57442570)

[Chapter II](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/57587440#workskin)

[Chapter III](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/57662134#workskin)

[Chapter IV](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/57790153#workskin)

[Chapter V](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/58052014#workskin)

[Chapter VI](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/58368532#workskin)

[Chapter VII](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/58368532#workskin)

[Chapter VIII](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/60214780#workskin)

[Chapter IX](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/61158001#workskin/chapters/60214780#workskin)

[Chapter X](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/61513033#workskin)

[Chapter XI](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/62209603#workskin)

[Chapter XII](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/63217951)

[Chapter XIII](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/63831091)

[Chapter XIV](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/64230193#workskin)

_**AVENGERS (2012)** _

[Chapter XV](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/65177059)

[Chapter XVI](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/66384532)

[Chapter XVII](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893567/chapters/67530865)


	2. Chapter I: Last Time to First Time

> ## •Thor (2011)•

  
It was just after Thor and Loki pulled apart from their embrace that Stephen Strange decided to open a portal into Thor’s bed chambers. Asgard was gone, the brothers had made up, and there were plenty wounded. Of course, some things you can’t prevent or change for the sake of the timeline. But there was one thing that he knew needed to be changed. For the sake of the entire universe.

“I need your help,” he said, taking a deep breath. His heart raced, and he had just enough time to take in the warm, brown room before adding on: “I hope to whatever God there is that you grabbed the Tesseract.”

Loki arched a slender brow at the wizard. “Help? With what, exactly?” Stephen noticed how he dodged the subject of the Tesseract, mentally tucking that information away as Loki kept talking. “We destroyed Asgard _and_ pushed along Ragnarok—”

“That’s just it!” Stephen snapped at him. Loki closed his mouth. Thor hadn’t said anything, just watched, which the sorcerer was grateful for; he wasn’t sure he had the patience to repeat himself. “Ragnarok wasn’t supposed to happen, yet. Because of mistakes made in 2011, half the universe will die.”

Loki laughed in disbelief. “What mistakes? I thought we weren’t supposed to meddle with the timeline.” 

That’s when Thor decided to interject. “We don’t even have the Tesseract! We can’t fix whatever mistakes there are. It was destroyed on Asgard.”

Stephen looked pointedly at Loki. Loki stared back, visibly nervous. He started to scratch at his hands. “Yes. It was destroyed on Asgard—”

“Take it out. _Right now,”_ Stephen ordered, voice rough. Loki flinched. Thor’s eyes widened with anger.

Carefully, he took it out from… well… _wherever_ he had it. It materialized in his hand, bright and glowing blue, radiating a cool warmth from Loki’s hand.

“Loki!”

“I’m sorry, Thor; I just couldn’t help myself,” he said in a rushed tone. It was the most truthful thing Stephen had ever heard him say. The younger god cleared his throat, turning to the sorcerer. “Why do you need the Tesseract?”

He took the Tesseract from Loki gently. He held up his own Eye of Agamotto as he looked over both relics. “I can’t actually go back through time with the Time Stone,” Strange explained. “I figured with the blending of powers from the Eye and the Tesseract, I could take us back to where we need to go… in a sense.”

 _“There’s_ the catch,” Loki mumbled. Thor’s eyes were wider than ever.

“Go back through time? Are you insane?” Thor argued, shaking his head. “I lost my eye, lost my hammer, lost my _home_ , and you’re telling me that I went through all that for nothing?” His hands had little lights dancing on them. Stephen took a deep breath. He didn’t know how to really explain this without upsetting Thor.

“If we do this the right way, we’re going to be sent back through time just as you were sent to Earth. We’ll all be the people we were before: we’ll look like them, we’ll become them—except we’ll remember everything.”

“I’m going to go back to Asgard, then?” Loki asked with an amused smile. No, it wasn’t amused: he was _mocking_ Stephen. 

Strange rolled his eyes. “Yes, you will. I found a spell in a forbidden book that will help me keep all of these changes in our own timeline.”

“You’re saying that if we go back through time and change what needs to be changed, Asgard will still be standing? What about the Avengers? What about the lives we’ve made and changed while we were there?” Thor started to pace, taking a bottle cap off of his dresser and tossing it as a plaything. “Tony Stark won’t make Ultron, which would be good, but he won’t change into a man who cares. Steve Rogers—my friend—won’t find comfort. Banner, in the other room right now, won’t learn that the Hulk is a good thing!” He winced. He then corrected himself, _“_ _Can_ be a good thing!”

“I could still cause that trouble with the Chitauri, then destroy the Tesseract once and for all,” Loki mused, folding one arm under the other as he chewed at his nails. “That way—”

“I’d have to make sure you do that,” Strange said. “If you can arrange to meet me some time after the attack in 2012.” 

Loki nodded. “Of course,” he said. They both looked at Thor.

“You two have no idea what you’re asking of me,” Thor said quietly. “I have to lose someone anyway. Jane.”

“If you play this out correctly, you never will lose Jane. But there’s a condition I really, _really_ have to stress, Thor.” Stephen clenched his fists as he braced himself to say this. He really had no right to ask. “It’ll create a butterfly effect, changing your life for the better and help you stop the impending threat that’s coming _right now._ Trust me, you’ll want this just as much as the timeline does.” 

“What’s your condition, Strange?” Thor stopped his pacing, looking at the sorcerer with an angry eye. He moved to face him. “Whatever your ‘butterfly effect’ will do, it can’t be worth losing everything.” He put finger quotations around _butterfly effect_ as he said it.

Stephen didn’t want to answer, seeing Thor’s expression. He was a man barely holding back tears, probably from the stress of the day. Everything was resting on _his_ shoulders now, and if the spell worked, it still would. 

“Well?” Thor demanded.

Strange sighed reluctantly. “You’ll have to fall in love with Darcy Lewis.”

“Jane’s intern?” Thor stopped, puzzled and perplexed. “Why her? I thought Jane—”

“Jane, in other universes, is perfect for you. In this one, she’s not; I can’t explain why; in fact, I couldn’t find a reason other than the moment she hit you with her car, something about her mind changed. And, uh, _former_ intern. She and Dr. Erik Selvig will go on to study the stones after this catastrophe happens. She’s the one you should have been paying attention to all along,” Stephen said. “Something went wrong, though.”

“What went wrong?” Thor folded his arms. Loki smirked.

“Probably the anxiety of being thrown onto Earth,” Loki said. “Darcy was so nice to you… if I recall your, ah, _rather small accounts_ of what happened.”

“Quiet,” Thor snapped. Loki laughed. Stephen’s heart raced.

“Just… help me save the world. Please,” he begged. “We don’t have much time.”

“If things don’t end up the right way?” Loki queried.

“Then I send us back, again, until they’re right. But we really only have one chance to fix things.”

“Recite the spell while we have time,” he said. “And make sure you mean it.”

“This is the only time I’m ever learning Latin,” he mumbled to himself, taking the Eye of Agamotto out and holding the Tesseract tightly. Stephen breathed in deeply, lifting both of the Stones up high. _“Qui salvandos stratis animabus nostris; retext omnia.”_ ******

And just like that, the trouble started.

* * *

Thor would have said that the day he was having was already going pretty badly. He had to kill his own sister, for the Allfathers’ sake. But the next thing he knew, he was laying at the end of a large, gleaming metal strip, the purr of an engine stopping abruptly. His head hurt. His chest hurt. His arms hurt. And…

He had his eye back.

“Get the first aid kit!” a familiar voice cried out. His head swam. Oh, no. Jane… He couldn’t move, he couldn’t do anything out of sheer fear. That, and he was in pain.

And if that was Jane… then that meant that Strange’s spell worked. The air smelled of rain, and the ground was softer and earthier than he remembered. He saw the bright shine of a flashlight—Jane had told him that—and squinted to see. Jane’s lovely face hovered over his. “Do me a favor and _do not_ be dead.”

He sat up, dazed. Shocked. Horrified. Odin’s beard, he was not used to this. He wasn’t ever going to be used to this. Jane’s voice, he had longed to hear it for so many months, and now he was with her… both of them, years younger. 

He was back in 2011.

“Whoa, does he need CPR?” another voice asked, high and quick. His heart thumped heavily. _Fall in love with Darcy Lewis_ . “Because I _totally_ know CPR.” 

Jane looked back at Darcy, shaking her head slightly. “Where did he come from?”

Thor yelled out in pain as he stood up—tried to. He stumbled around, looking. If this was 2011, then his hammer must be with him. _“Hammer?”_ he called out.

“Yeah, we can tell you’re hammered,” Darcy said. Her voice stuck out to him more than it had; he didn’t remember her saying anything before. “It’s pretty obvious…”

But then, just before he called out for it again, he realized: 

It. 

Wasn’t. 

_Here._

Odin had declared him unworthy—his heart tightened at the realization his father was still alive—so he wouldn’t be able to get it. He turned to the three of them, the people he had thought of as friends, or would think of as friends, and studied them. Jane was looking over his impact spot, along with Erik. Darcy was staring at him.

“Jane, we have to take this guy to the hospital,” Erik told her.

Darcy smiled, getting down on her knees to study the impact position, too. “He’s fine! Look at him.” She pointed her thumb back at the god. He squinted at her.

“What realm is this?” he asked, chest rising and falling quickly. He didn’t remember what they called their little divides in America. “Tell me!”

“New Mexico,” someone answered, but he didn’t know who. His head spun faster and faster. He saw Darcy raise up that—that _thing_ —with determination in her eyes.

Thor scoffed, humored by the taser. He remembered it well. His lips moved before he could think of what to say. “You _dare_ threaten _me,_ Thor, with so puny a—”

She fired. 

His body seized. The electrical current from the taser took the last bit of strength he had, and he was down on the ground, again.

“What?” Darcy asked. Her voice seemed far away. “He was freaking me out!”

Then everything went black.

* * *

 ****** inaccurate Latin


	3. Chapter II: Second Time Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is like Thor remembers, at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I was getting a bit too excited. I hope it wasn't too rushed. Comment, please! I want constructive criticism! :D

The first thing Thor noticed when he awoke was white, blinding lights. The smell of the air burned his nose, making it wrinkle. His eyes hurt, too. He looked around. The fact that he wasn’t in Velcro bindings told him right away that something was different… or  _ someone. _

Thor spotted the change right away. He had the cheekbones that anyone could spot from miles away. The posture gave him away, too: Thor never saw anyone stand so firmly. 

He was never in the room before. Then again, Thor hadn’t thrown the healers around the room this time. Maybe he never noticed that he was in the room. He didn’t know. 

“Dr. Strange, he’s awake,” a woman’s voice came from across the room. Thor relaxed immediately. Their timeline was already being fixed! He prayed a silent thanks to the Allfathers.

“Good. I’d like to ask him some personal questions to see if he has any medical records,” Stephen said to the woman. “I’ll ask you back if there’s anything else wrong.” Thor focused on Strange’s figure. He wore a mask over his face, covered entirely in a sky-blue. He had gloves over his hands. Thor had so many questions: How did he make it here so quickly? Why did he look so funny dressed like that? Did he remember everything, too? 

He was in wonderment.  _ Bewilderment! _ He couldn’t be any happier to see him, though, which was also confusing. 

“Good idea.” The other masked people nodded to Stephen, then filed out the door. Once it was shut, Stephen helped Thor sit up. Thor looked down at his own attire, for the first time.

He was wearing that blasted half-gown, the same ugly shade as the rest of the materials in the hospital. It was bleak, and let a draft blow freely downstairs. His hair fell in front of his face a lot more, too. He didn’t realize how used to his shorter hair he had gotten.

“By the Allfathers, your Earth healers have no sense in comfort,” he rumbled. He straightened his back. It hurt dreadfully. He grimaced as his eyes met the doctor’s.

“I had no idea we would both be in New Mexico,” Strange laughed quietly. He pulled his mask off to show his grin, or to breathe better; Thor couldn’t tell. Thor noticed how his hair was entirely black, and the lack of a beard bothered him. “I assume you found Darcy, then?”

Thor gave a quick nod. “I did.” He pressed his lips down into a line, still weary. “Did you not always have a beard?” He stroked his own as he spoke.

“No, I used to be clean-shaven. Was Darcy the girl behind Jane?” The doctor set a hand on Thor’s shoulder. Thor swallowed. He shook his head ‘yes’.

“Yes, that was her. She tased me.” He looked toward the door. “How are we going to get out of the hospital?”

“I’ll just walk you out to Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis; they’ll check you out. We can make you a fake ID in a couple of days. I’ll leave for New York in a week.” Stephen helped him stand. “Let’s get your clothes, too.”

“How will I contact you? Do we keep the whole… future thing quiet?” 

“Obviously. We don’t want to change things  _ too _ much.” 

Thor laughed. “And Loki? Have you heard from him, yet?”

“No; hopefully, we will before Thursday.” They walked to the bathroom and got Thor dressed as best as they could with his aching body. He wondered if Stephen already had these clothes, or if he was wearing them when he fell to Earth. So many things were different than he remembered, not to mention that he already had blurry memories of this.

They walked down to the waiting room. Thor’s chest squeezed when he saw the girls. Jane sighed in relief, and Darcy’s eyes flew open. Thor offered up a small smile. “Thank you both for helping me here.”

“These are the ladies who checked you in? You’re a lucky guy.” Doctor Strange chuckled with what sounded like good nature, but Thor knew he was being a tease. 

“I’m Jane Foster,” Jane said, sticking her hand out to shake. Thor looked at it for a second, then remembered what he was supposed to do. He shook it. He had to remember that she wasn’t the Jane who used to love him. She didn’t even love him, yet. It was easier to think about it that way.

“Thor, son of Odin, prince of Asgard,” he said, letting go. He turned to Darcy. He knew he would be reprimanded if he didn’t put in an effort to get closer to her. “Who are you, my lady?”

Darcy’s cheeks turned rosy pink. She smiled, sticking out her hand, too. “Darcy Lewis, senior in college. Sorry that I tased you—no hard feelings?”

“No hard feelings,” Thor said, shaking her hand. He grinned. She was so genuine, it was hard  _ not _ to smile. He still felt a knot in the pit of his stomach, though. How was he supposed to make her fall for him? How would he be able to do that and sleep at night?

“Is there anything else you need, doctor?” Jane asked Strange. The question was almost out of the ordinary: not the way it was said, but more of the way they weren’t expecting it. The two men had only known each other for a short while, but the idea of anyone mistaking them for strangers was ridiculous. They gazed at each other, asking each other questions neither could answer.

“No, no. I’ll leave you.” He nodded to Thor, then left them with a brisk walk. Thor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He was being left alone.  _ Again. _

_ You are a mighty warrior. You don’t need anyone to fight your own battles, _ he told himself. 

Thor squared his shoulders and looked at the girls, who were staring at him in the oddest way. Where was Erik Selvig? 

“That doctor dude was  _ weird,” _ Darcy said. Jane nodded, still confused. “Anyway, what are we gonna do with the big guy? I mean, isn’t he kinda craz—”

“Quiet for a second,” Jane whispered to her harshly. Thor noticed how Darcy shrunk back. He felt bad for seeing that. It was like he wasn’t supposed to witness this exchange, or worse: they didn’t think that he could comprehend it. She pulled Darcy away to talk in a corner. Thor sighed.

How was he going to do this?

* * *

“What are we going to do?” Darcy asked again. “Are we gonna take him with us?”

“Of course, we are!” Jane said. Her tone was still quiet. Her words were snappish, and her eyes were all wide and stuff. Darcy felt her fingers dig into her shoulders, so she thought it was safe to assume that Jane was freaking out, too. “He literally fell from the sky, and maybe he knows what’s up with the spatial distortions!”

“Or maybe he’s wacko, Jane, we have to be careful. Don’t you remember how he was screaming for his hammer before I tased him?” Darcy gently removed Jane’s hands, taking them in hers. “Listen, it’s your call, but I’m pretty sure—no, I’m  _ very _ pretty sure that maybe we should see if he has any identification and if he’s a certified nutjob before we believe his story.” She scrunched up her face as she thought. “Or maybe we could do it all on a whim.”

Jane took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. “You’re right, actually.” She took her hands away and set them on her hips. “We need to make sure we know  _ exactly _ who this guy is.”

Darcy snorted. “I thought you meant to do it on a whim.” She giggled a bit more but quickly quieted when Jane shot her a glare. 

She knew Jane didn’t intend to come off as mean and grumpy, it was just the stress of the whole situation. And the lack of sleep. There was a lot of no-sleeping going on with this particular project, and the whole “hot dude falling from the sky” thing only made it worse. This was the third all-nighter in a row for Jane and the second for Darcy.

“Let’s go back and find um… Thor. That was his name, right?” Jane rubbed her forehead.

Darcy nodded quickly, head held high. She pushed her glasses onto her nose. “Yeah. He’s nice, kinda.” She added on the  _ kinda _ mostly due to the fact that they had really only interacted with Hotty McBlond for a total of thirty minutes. “I know this waffle place we could take him to for breakfast.”

Jane laughed in disbelief. “Okay.  _ Waffle place _ . We can take him to breakfast, but you’re paying.”

“I’m paying? Okay. As long as you pay for gas; I paid for the plane tickets.” Darcy shrugged. They walked out of the corner where they had been talking. She pulled Jane up to Thor, who was still waiting for them.

He was wearing a zip-up hoodie, his hair cleaner than it should have been for rolling around in the dirt. His muscles were hugged by the fabric. His posture made him seem taller than he probably was, too. Darcy had never seen such an attractive man before. His eyes were bright, even from all the way back here. The way he smiled, it made you want to smile back. How was he smiling so nice to everyone? He didn’t know anyone here!

Darcy was melting as they walked closer.

Although, it was probably smarter not to think about how hot he was right now.

“I take it that I’m under your care, my ladies?” He smiled with a bit of strain. His arms hung limply by his sides, shoulders hunched. How stressed was this dude? Poor thing. She only noticed that as she stood near him. Darcy gave him a nice grin.

“You’re under our care. Jane says we can take you to breakfast, Mr. Thor,” she said. He seemed to tense up.

“You don’t have to, I can find my way around—,” he tried, stepping back.

“Nonsense. I tased you and Jane hit you with her car, we have to try and apologize for that somehow.” 

Jane cleared her throat. “Please. Let us help you. Do you live anywhere around here?”

Thor shook his head. “No. I don’t live anywhere around here. I live on Asgard.”

“Asgard?”

“Yes. Asgard.” He bounced on the balls of his feet. “I need to find a way to get back home. You see, I was banished for invading Jotunheim and almost causing a war with the Jotun. My brother, Loki—”

Jane butt in. “We can try and get you home, but maybe we should get in the car before we do.”

Darcy looked between them. Jane was flustered. Thor was looking at her with some kind of weird recognition. Darcy narrowed her eyes. Something was up, wasn’t it?

“Yes, of course,” Thor answered. 

Any sort of weird suspicion didn’t exactly leave Darcy’s mind after that, but it was buried down into the back of her mind. Something about this encounter seemed careful on his side as well as theirs. Maybe she judged him too quickly, but he was being strange. The whole thing with the doctor was odd, too. 

It was most likely just her overthinking things again. She shrugged it off. 

They all left the hospital. Erik was waiting for them in the car, still, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel rhythmically.

“I didn’t think you’d ever come out,” he said, laying against the seat in relief. “You brought our friend?”

“His name is Thor,” Darcy said, sitting in the back seat. Thor got in next to her. Jane sat in the front. He waved to Erik through the mirror with a tiny smile.

Was he anything but friendly and a little weird? 

“Thor, eh? Nice to meet you,” Erik said, starting the engine up. “Where to, Janey?”

“Darcy’s got a place, this time,” Jane answered. They turned around to look at her. Even  _ Thor _ was looking at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes.

“It’s just a diner in downtown Puente Antiguo,” she said, shaking her head to make it seem like a little thing. “It’s called Isabel’s Diner. You know I took you guys once?”

“Right. You did, didn’t you?” Erik chuckled. “That Darcy’s going to be a proper professor at Culver before you know it, Janey.” Darcy pretended that she didn’t hear that. She just smiled to herself.

“What is Culver?” Thor asked quietly. The other two kept talking in the front.

“Oh, um, it’s a university where I study at and where Jane works.” Darcy looked up at him, mostly to stare into those cute eyes but also to use him as a sun blocker. “I’m her intern. I carry things, I do paperwork, I study over her shoulder, and occasionally, I do the dirty work.”

“Dirty work?” His brow furrowed. “Like what?” He sat forward.

“You know. Dirty work. Hiding bodies, obstruction of evidence, moving us across the nation to make sure the police don’t catch us—”

“Stop it, Darcy,” Jane snapped. She turned around to scold with her eyes. “Don’t scare him any more than he already is.”

“Fine, but for your information, it was a joke. Right, Muscles?” Darcy poked his arm. It was fleshy, alright.

His eyes widened, and he laughed. “Yes. A joke. It was a good joke, Lady Darcy.” She offered up a fist bump, which he humorously delivered. “That is ‘dry humor,’ yes?”

“Yeah, it’s also called sarcasm, too,” she said with a proud smirk. “Jane likes my jokes, but today’s been hard. Er, yesterday. You’ll have to give her some leeway.”

“She can have as much leeway as she wants,” he answered with earnest. “I’m hoping to be out of your hair quickly. I, erm, don’t like to intrude.” He bit his lip, running his hand through his hair. “When I fell, so did my hammer. I need to find it.”

“Hammer? Like, you actually have one?”

“Could you pull the car over, sir?”

Erik nodded. “Is there something you need, Mr. Thor?”

“In a way.”

Erik pulled the car over on the side of the road. Thor unbuckled and got out, gently taking Darcy by the hand. She felt her face heat up. “Follow me, please.” Darcy took her hand away and got out after him. Thor looked over to Jane. “Will you come, too, Lady Jane?”

“I guess so. Erik, come with us.”

Once they were all out of the car and on the sidewalk, Thor took a few steps back. He flexed his wrists and closed his eyes. 

Darcy didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she gasped at his next display: electricity moved all over his hands, over his face, and moved onto the sidewalk. She yelped and backed away. Jane and Erik exclaimed, moving with her. 

“What the f—”

“You’re… you’re electrocuting yourself!” Darcy yelled, cutting Jane off from whatever swear she was going to use. 

Thor opened his eyes. His body stopped sizzling, the rest of the sparks falling onto the ground and going away. “Is that enough to convince you that I fell from the sky? I know you were skeptical…”

Darcy hoped she was covering everyone when she nodded firmly, jaw slack. “Oh, yeah!” she said. She looked at Jane and Erik. They were just as terrified as she was. 

“So… you weren’t kidding about needing to pull over,” Erik said. “Gotcha.” 

* * *

Loki was trying his hardest not to find Frigga so he could follow her around like a puppy, or find a way to spite Odin. Well, he wanted to hug his father, then apologize for putting him under a spell that made him so weak he died. Then he wanted to spite him. The whole experience was surreal. 

It took him a moment to really process exactly where he was in time. When he awoke, he was walking out of the Bi-Frost and staring at Heimdall. The gatekeeper arched his brow at the prince.

“Is there something you need, my prince?”

Loki shook his head. “No. No, there’s nothing. I’m sorry.” His eyes lingered on Heimdall a little longer, then turned around. He could always trust Heimdall to know when he was scheming again.

He couldn’t tell anyone about it. He would need to find a way to bring Thor home, fast. All he knew about Thor’s time on Earth was that he was there long enough to fall in love with Jane Foster. 

He didn’t see much wrong with Jane Foster when he met her. In fact, he was proud that Thor found someone who could appreciate him amid their quarreling. But after Thor told him she broke their relationship off, he thought back to anything particularly wrong with his brother. Why would any woman end a relationship with him?

He could see something like another man or never really falling in love, but that wasn’t something you could help. But from the sounds of it, she grew annoyed with him. Er,  _ would _ grow annoyed with him. Perhaps nothing would happen this time. Either way, he needed to help him return before Odin fell into his Odinsleep.

“Father, may we speak?” he asked when he finally caught up to the Allfather. 

“If it’s about Thor, no, we may not,” Odin spat.

“Father, I’m worried you may overexert yourself,” he said, moving to keep pace with him. “It wouldn’t be wise for you to keep on with your duties after such a feat!”

“What are you saying, my son?” Odin glared at him with his one eye.

“I’m simply saying you should retire from the throne as you intended, rest. It doesn’t need to be permanent,” he added on quickly, seeing Odin’s eye darken. “Let me be regent in Thor’s absence.”

“I cannot.” He turned his head away and walked faster.

“Nothing is stopping you from letting me, Father, I’m perfectly qualified,” he insisted. “Unless there’s some unknown reason I’m not privy to.”

Odin stopped. Loki wanted to smirk evilly. Oh, this would have been so much funnier if he had found out before, all those years ago. No. It was simply months ago, now. He had the Allfather right where he wanted him.

“I will speak with your mother about this,” he said lamely. Loki was ecstatic. He had won. Now all that was left was to make Thor worthy, again, and he could welcome Thor back with loving arms instead of freezing Jotunheim—

Oh, no.

_ He still had a plan with the Jotun. _


	4. Chapter III: Heimdall Gets 'Spicious

  
“How’d you do that… that  _ thing _ with the lightning?” Jane asked Thor. Darcy had taken them to the biggest table in Isabel’s Diner as a hunch, but she didn’t think it would be  _ this _ put to use.

They were all watching him eat. Man, did this guy  _ eat _ , too. Thor took another stab-full of scrambled eggs, shoving them into his mouth; it was as if he had never had it before. The diner was packed with people who were coming in for breakfast, but it seemed like they were the only people in the whole building. 

Darcy couldn’t tear her eyes from him. It was like nothing Darcy had ever seen before; like he was a traveling circus, his mouth a ring of fire, and the fork a tiger. She was in awe.

“How could you eat an entire box of Poptarts and still be this hungry?” she asked him, sitting forward. She rested her head on her fist, trying to figure it out.

The lightning thing was important, too. Like, really important. 

Thor took a sip from the coffee mug, sighing with content. “I’ve never had such a good beverage in my life.” He set it down, looking toward the door. “I could do the lightning trick after years of practice on Asgard. My brother studied his own kind of magic, so his training took longer. My power lets me control lightning and thunder.”

“Magic?” Darcy smiled. “I would say that’s crazy, but since you kinda did that light show, I believe you.” She got out her iPod, checking Facebook. He would look so cute on her dash.  _ Like a puppy or a golden retriever,  _ she thought to herself.

“You’d like it on Asgard,” he said. “There are so many things that you could study and see and touch and taste and… magic and science are one and the same.”

Darcy’s mouth hung open. “Oh, my gosh, that’s so  _ cool! _ Could you take me?”

Just then, the bell over the door rang as it was opened. Everyone’s attention shifted to the new customers as they made their way to the breakfast bar. Darcy’s eyes flicked over them briefly, still infatuated with Thor and his quirks.

“The usual, please, Izzy,” one of them said, swinging his leg over the stool that stood in front of the counter. He was wearing blue, was a little on the heavy side, and he had a black goatee that made Darcy think of an Italian mobster. A really pudgy, mostly harmless Italian mobster who wasn’t Italian.

Thor’s attention, unlike the rest of the diner’s, was steady and unwavering on the men. His fork fell back onto the table with a soft  _ kerthlump. _ His shoulders tensed.

He looked ready to pounce.

* * *

“You missed all the excitement back at the crater,” the man continued. His words were enticing, exciting. Thor hadn’t felt anticipation like this in a long time… “They’re saying some kind of satellite landed out in the desert. We were having a  _ good _ time with it, until the  _ Feds _ showed up.” The man sighed.

“Excuse me,” Jane said, “did you say there was a satellite crash?”

Thor stood up, walking over to the man before he could even give an affirmative. He remembered what the answer would have been, what the good Dr. Selvig would have asked. He could still hear the echo of the man’s words:  _ “I don’t know nothing about satellites… but no one could lift it.” _

Thor grabbed the man by the shoulder. “Which way? Point me in the direction.” 

The man stuck his finger out east. “It’s about fifty miles that way—”

Thor started walking away. He could feel his heart in his throat, how heavily it was beating and thumping and  _ throbbing _ between his sinews, sending waves through his whole person. He didn’t want to seem crazy, not like last time, but that was too late. He didn’t want to fight through an awkward first impression just to satisfy a  _ stupid _ timeline. He had gone through it once, which was more than enough. Falling in love with Darcy wasn’t going to be an option. He couldn’t stand this.

“Mr. Thor? Mr. Thor! Thor!” Erik Selvig yelled from someplace behind him. “How can we help you?”

“You can’t!” he shouted.

“Wait, wait! Hold up!” Jane Foster called after him. His heart got louder. 

At one point, he would have relished having Jane begging for him to stay. At one point, he loved Jane with all his heart. He had  _ just _ gotten to a point where it didn’t matter what she thought about him. Then Loki had to bring it up, then Stephen had to tell him his feelings didn’t even matter in the long run, that his relationship was a mistake. A mistake that caused a tragedy the sorcerer himself couldn’t even speak about.

Thor tried to ignore Jane’s voice as best he could. He managed to walk on the sidewalk, unlike last time. He wondered what could be changed just because he didn’t walk into the middle of the road. At one point, someone had explained the butterfly effect to him, how one small fault could completely eradicate whatever future could have been if it never occurred.

Right now, he wasn’t just seeing the effect unfold, he was causing it. 

_ He _ was the butterfly  _ affect.  _ Thor stopped, not because of Erik and Jane yelling at him, but in incertitude. How responsible was he for the fate of Midgard? How much of this timeline would be altered because of him?

“Thor, dude! Why are you leaving? You can’t possibly be thinking about going onto government property,” Darcy said. Her voice stuck out in his head. He turned to the trio. Darcy was the one who was standing next to him, with furrowed brows and a frowning face, a smile completely forgotten for a short, brief instant. Thor wondered if she used to rarely smile.

“You don’t understand; I cannot tell you much, but that’s no satellite.” He looked to the horizon, finding east. He was starting to have second thoughts about everything. “And if I don’t try to take what’s mine, dire consequences would aspire.” 

The last time he was in this moment, it was Jane Foster who was trying to get information out of him. He was stupidly thinking he would be worthy despite Odin “stripping” his powers from him. It was what Stark or Strange would call a  _ placebo, _ that hammer… But this time, Thor wasn’t as young or as arrogant as he had been.

This time, Jane Foster was afraid of him.

This time, there was a young intern who just wanted to help.

Thor suppressed a smile. Perhaps, in some twisted way, Strange might have been right about Darcy being pivotal. 

“Is it your hammer-thingie?” Darcy asked gently. She put her hands under her arms and swayed as she patiently waited for Thor to answer. Her blue eyes were locked on his face. He swallowed. This was a start. 

“Yes, it is. Mjölnir is a special weapon, Darcy Lewis.” He grinned as he talked about it, practically feeling the leather in his hands once again, feeling the cool metal against his palm. “If I swung it, it could take me off the ground or—or I could defeat my greatest foe. I was part of creating that anomaly, Jane and Dr. Selvig, the one you found me in.”

“Mewmew?”

“That’s impossible,” Erik said with a disbelieving laugh. He looked conflicted. “M-maybe that whole electricity thing was just a trick.”

“I believe I’ve already proved it wasn’t,” Thor laughed. “But thank you.” He kneeled in front of Erik as a goodbye gesture. He kissed Jane’s hand, then Darcy’s.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to find a friend from the hospital,” Thor said. “I may see you again, but I won’t make a promise I can’t keep. Goodbye, and thank you so much for your kindness.” Just like that, he was off.

But little did he know that Darcy Lewis would keep following him.

* * *

Heimdall couldn’t explain the odd behaviors of the princes and the one particular mortal. Something happened beyond his sight, something he couldn’t see. Rarely ever did something happen that he did not detect, not in all the Nine Realms. It made him uncomfortable, suffice it to say. 

Loki, who was usually up to no good, hadn’t gone into his room to plot since Thor had been banished. He was the epitome of perfection for the past two days. Usually, Heimdall would have chalked it up to another one of his schemes, but it was different this time. He seemed genuinely behaved. Loki was careful while talking with his father, more patient with his mother. 

Minus the blackmailing bit. Heimdall didn’t see too much difference there. He just wanted to know who told the prince he was adopted.

Unless he  _ didn’t _ know. Maybe Loki just wanted to make Odin uncomfortable after seeing the Allfather’s reaction. Either way, Prince Loki knew something that he didn’t before, and something changed him in a way that Heimdall was unawares of.

Prince Thor, on the other hand, had seemed almost a decade older. It was in the way he carried himself and the way he talked. On Earth, he seemed to know his way around things. He was thoughtful and wary, through just a handful of hours ago he had been rash and rude without realizing it. His heart was bigger than his chest now.

Then the mortal. He had seen many magicians in his life. Some of the best in the galaxy had been born on Earth. He knew Thor. They had been talking about the timeline. Heimdall’s brow furrowed. It couldn’t be possible. It was dark magic; forbidden magic.

Were Thor and Loki dabbling in powers they couldn’t control?

“Heimdall,” Loki called. He walked into the Himinbjörg with a newfound swagger Heimdall  _ absolutely _ didn’t recognize. “You called for me?”

“What are you up to, Your Highness?” Heimdall asked with a bleak but menacing tone. 

“Actually,” the prince replied with an ‘innocent’ smile, “I’m not up to anything. I assure you, I’m on my best behavior.”

Heimdall straightened and took a slow, deep breath. “I know you are. Why?”

“Excuse me?” Loki cocked his head. 

“Something happened beyond my sight.  _ What was it?” _

_ “Nothing!” _ Loki laughed. His expression, crestfallen but covered with a simple tug of lips, told Heimdall everything he needed to know. He smirked. Loki cleared his throat. “…Please don’t make me tell you.”

“I could tell the Allfather of this treason,” Heimdall said.

“It isn’t treason,” Loki snapped, rolling his eyes. “You can’t know. When can we bring Thor back? I need to talk to him—”

“Thor cannot come back until the Allfather allows it,” Heimdall said darkly. Loki’s Adam’s apple bobbed low. “What are you doing that is so important you cannot tell the protector of Asgard?”

“I…” Loki stopped to collect his thoughts. He fiddled with his sleeves, swaying from foot to foot. “I’m…”

“Yes?”

“It’s in Asgard’s best interests… it could prevent war and tragedy,” Loki said carefully. “I would never ask you to trust me on a normal basis, but as you can already tell, this is in no way normal.”

Heimdall chewed his cheek. There was something different about Loki, yes, but… Heimdall had no other option if Loki was telling the truth. He nodded. “Alright. But someday you must explain it to me.” He smiled at the prince.

Loki sighed in relief, “I’ll owe you everything. May I ask you something?”

“Possibly.”

“I need to go to Jotunheim.” Loki gave a small, teeny smile. “To fix a mistake.”

Heimdall’s eyes widened. He definitely knew. 

* * *

It turned out that Darcy wasn’t very good at hiding.

About twenty minutes of tailing him from behind, Thor turned around and looked at her with the same kind eyes he had been using on her and Jane and Erik. He sighed and waved his hand forward, telling her it was okay to keep up with him. She giggled and squealed with excitement.

Adventure!

“Thor, my dude, where are we going?” Darcy asked, semi-jogging to keep up with the giant could-be god. “You didn’t exactly say, and if we don’t hurry back to Jane and Erik they’re going to be worried that you kidnapped me.”

“We’re going to see a friend of mine,” Thor said. His arms swung. Darcy grabbed one of them, trying to figure out the exact pace he was using. “I wouldn’t kidnap you; you could always leave whenever you wanted.”

“Yeah, I get that,” she said. She stumbled over her foot. Thor slowed down after that, gently taking her hand. Darcy blushed, again. Did he just hold hands? “Who’s this friend, anyway? Was he that doctor that stood next to you  _ way _ too long?”

“Yeah,” Thor said. “His name is Stephen Strange. He and I aren’t exactly close, but he knows me more than I probably want to admit.” He looked down at Darcy. “Does my hand make you uncomfortable, Miss Lewis?”

“Just call me Darcy. As long as you don’t mean to be possessive of me, yeah, you can hold my hand.” She cleared her throat. “Do you do this often?”

Thor shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with it, and it depends on who it is.” He stopped, looking at their hands. Darcy didn’t want him to let go. 

“We should get going,” she said quietly.

“You’re right,” he said, finally letting go of her hand. “And, um, after this… I’m sorry about your iPod.”

“My iPod? Why?”

He pretended not to hear the question. He just pressed on. Darcy sighed. Thor was a mysterious man. She wasn’t sure if it was smart to keep on. She felt like she should have just left big, tall, and handsome to Jane and go back to being in the background… 

What was she going to do now? Live it up? Get in serious trouble? Fantasize? 

They walked all the way to the hospital. Darcy’s feet hurt, she realized. They walked for almost an hour. She was tired. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to go to bed, and Thor’s warm radiated heat was starting to get to her. 

“Thor?”

“Yes, Darcy?”

“I’m getting really tired… um… does this doctor friend of yours have a place I can sleep for a little bit?” She was swaying as she asked the question.

Thor smiled softly. “I think so. I can carry you if you would like.” 

Darcy sighed in relief. “Oh, yes, please. Can you?”

Thor lifted her off the ground. “Let’s go.” 


	5. Chapter IV: Short of Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter because I want to tortu... I mean plan out how I want this to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Aelwyn, for helping me with my mistakes! To be honest, I probably have a lot more mistakes than I think :/
> 
> Also how many chapters do you guys think I should make? ;)

  
When Darcy woke up a little bit, she was sitting in an empty office. She didn’t remember falling asleep or being set down on a patient bed with the weird little wax paper. She looked around the room. Thor wasn’t here. Weird. Well, not really, but she didn’t think it was exactly normal to be waking up in a room mostly used for check-ups.

“…did what you said, Strange,” a low voice said. It was tinted with anger.  _ Thor _ . “I’m giving her a chance. What else do I have to do? What else can I do? Lead her on? Throw away what memories I have of my life? Right now, I can’t see what’s so important about her for the sake of an entire universe.”

“Didn’t you listen?” another man’s words came. “Maybe it was due to the rushed explanation, but she’s important. Extremely. She’s going to sound the horn on Earth, help the countries accept the existence of powers they can’t control. She’ll help us destroy the Tesseract and the Mind Stone. And maybe, if we’re lucky, she can take the power stone for us… somehow…”

Darcy sat up, rubbing her eyes. She saw the back of Thor’s head; he had put his hair in a low bun, and it was shaking vigorously with his hands as he argued with whomever it was. And what kind of stone was going to be so important that they had to destroy them? Who was  _ she? _ A thousand questions bubbled up in her brain.

Except, she was nervous. This was none of her business.

“How am I supposed to make sure she does that? I cannot stop her, I refuse to hurt her. And the whole ‘falling in—’”

“You’re pivotal as well, Thor, it isn’t something you can change,” the guy named Strange said. He rushed his words to cut Thor off. Darcy swallowed. Who were they talking about? What poor girl was going to be the ambassador of the weird? “By stopping Ragnarok, you caused it. The fight with the Chitau—with Loki’s  _ friends— _ will solidify Tony’s love for the world. Just like Steve falling in the ice. But you’re something else, Thor.”

“What else? I’m not a god, currently, and Mjölnir is sitting in a government base. I don’t remember enough to keep the timeline in place, and I’m messing up. You didn’t tell me that Jane’s things were taken directly after the diner—”

“I didn’t know, Thor, please calm down.”

“I apologized for Darcy’s iPod! I wasn’t supposed to!”

Maybe she heard wrong. Maybe it was  _ Stacy’s iPhone,  _ not Darcy’s iPod _. _ Yeah, she probably heard wrong…

“It didn’t get taken?” the other guy asked.

She was pretty sure she heard it right.

“She still has it on her,” Thor continued, pinching his nose. “I’ll mess everything up before we can fix it! I need help—”

Darcy stumbled out. “Thor?”

Both men went quiet. Thor smiled gently, but it was easy to see it was forced. Darcy kind of hated his fake smile. “Miss Lewis… you should be resting.”

“The sun got in my eyes,” she lied smoothly. She gave a nervous laugh, bumping into the blond playfully. “You’re the doctor friend Thor has, huh? I guess that explains the weird lingering.” She waved her hands up and down rapidly in a vague gesture, panicking. Where was her taser at?

Strange sucked his teeth as he slowly answered Darcy. “I wouldn’t call us best friends, miss. But I guess we have to be, considering our situation. I’m Doctor Stephen Strange.” 

“Darcy Lewis,” she said as bland as could be. Noticing the good doc’s odd glance, she added, “I would shake your hand and stuff, but I assume it needs to be clean. And by the way you’re glancing at your watch all funny, I’d guess you’re on a break, right?”

Stephen gave her an impressed look. “You’re right,” he grinned. He nudged Thor without touching him. “She’s smarter than she looks.”

_ “You  _ picked her,” Thor mumbled, crossing his arms. Darcy’s chest thrummed. Oh, boy. He looked away from her; was he embarrassed? Were all those glances he gave her fake? What if she was really gonna die and they were some kind of weird Satan-worshippers who thought they were going to be immortal from her sacrifice?  _ What if she was going to die and turn up in a ditch? _

Instead of freaking out, she just tried to regulate her breathing.

“I didn’t pick her, Thor, fate did,” Stephen snapped. “I know this has been hard on you—”

“You don’t know half of it.”

“—but you’ll be happier this way,” Stephen finished. They were glaring at each other so foully that if Darcy was on the receiving end of either stare, she would have burst into tears right then and there. But she wasn’t on the receiving end. She didn’t want to be. She bounced on the balls of her feet awkwardly.

“So this is about me? Not everything else?”

“Do you think we can afford to tell everything else so soon?”

“Why not? You haven’t heard from Loki, neither have I, but we’ve found Darcy. It’s unfair to assume she should help us without knowing anything.”

_ “Unfortunately, _ that’s how it has to be until we do hear from Loki,” Stephen growled. “I’m sorry, Thor. You shouldn’t have brought her, yet.”

“GUYS,” Darcy snapped. The men jumped, staring at her with newfound fear.  _ “I’m standing right in front of you.” _ They nodded quickly. Stephen looked like he just got a bug in his eye. Thor’s throat kept moving like he was trying to gulp down something slimy. “Talk about me to my face like that again and I’ll show you how smart I can be.”

They nodded again. She smirked to herself. Not big shots anymore, were they?

“Sorry, Darcy,” Thor said quietly. He looked away one more time. She set a hand on his arm.

“If you tell me what’s going on, I’ll forgive you.”

“We can’t tell you, yet,” Stephen said. “We’re waiting on someone important to come and tell us if it’s safe to continue with our plan. We don’t want to put you in any danger.” He sighed a little. “I haven’t even met Christine, yet, this is so  _ weird.” _

“Christine?” Darcy asked.

“Christine Palmer,” Stephen said. A frown set itself on his face. He stared off into space. Thor chewed on his lip. “She was a woman— _ is _ a woman I meet and… it doesn’t matter. The way things happen, I’m lucky if my future stays the same as it is— _ was.” _

“Lives will be saved, Strange,” Thor said quietly. “We’re both upset. I’m sorry for getting angry.” Darcy could really see that something was going on, now, but somehow, she didn’t feel frightened or weirded out like before. Instead, she wanted to help them.

Was she some sort of sucker?

“You have a right to be angry, I just threw you into this,” Stephen murmured. “I come to you after your worst experience yet, and I tell you everything has to be done the right way all over again…”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. You were looking out for trillions of people.”

“I’m so confused,” Darcy said, wiping her eyes. She buried her face in her hands. “Tell me what’s going on? Please?”

“That depends,” Stephen said. “Will you believe us if we say we’re from the future?”


	6. Chapter V: Remnants

“You’re joking,” Darcy said, laughing lightly with disbelief. _From the future._ “You’re joking, right?”

“We’re not joking,” Thor said. “We need you to help us stop the death of trillions.” He turned his body towards her. Though they had been closer only hours ago, she was still nervous being near him. 

Then his words hit her. People would die.

“Trillions?” A stone dropped in Darcy’s belly. Trillions would die? When? 

“Trillions,” Stephen affirmed. “You’re the one who can save the world, Darcy.”

Darcy looked at him like he was nuts. Well, from what he was saying, he had to be. And if this was a paradox, he could easily prove it, but from what Thor was saying, she knew they couldn’t. “Sounds awfully convenient…”

“On May 4, 2012, there will be an attack on New York,” Stephen said. “The Chitauri. And if you don’t believe us, you can ask Jane why S.H.I.E.L.D. took your laptop for the Avengers Initiative.”

Darcy closed her eyes as she tried to file away that information. All of this was too weird for her to make up. In some ways, Thor and his lightning powers seemed much more believable. In other ways, Stephen and Thor being time travelers made more sense. Instead of asking what was wrong with them, she said: “What are you talking about?”

“Future events that we made sure will happen,” Thor answered. He tilted her chin up, cupping it like her whole face like it was precious. Until then, Darcy didn’t realize she was staring at her shoes. She stilled at the way his warm, coarse hand felt on her skin.

“Even if it does happen in a year, I can’t trust you, yet,” Darcy said firmly. She set her hands on Thor’s wrist, but couldn’t bring herself to move his hand.

“I can only ask that you consider,” Thor’s words quietly rumbled. His voice sounded like thunder to her. Low, resonating thunder: the kind you heard when rain smattered on your window in the middle of a spring night. “Please?”

Darcy shivered. “You know you sound insane… but I guess it couldn’t hurt to help you a little bit.” She cleared her throat and pulled away from Thor. Stephen smirked at the hunk.

“Thank you, Darcy,” Thor said. “But we should head back to your office.”

Darcy made a noise but hid it with a cough. “You’re right; Jane might get worried—it’s been a while, right?” She gave his shoulder a firm smack and offered him a tiny smile. “I think you could offer her some information about that anomaly, big guy.”

Thor grinned, “You’re right; she would.” He turned to Stephen. “Watch out for my brother.” The doctor nodded. With that, Thor took Darcy’s hand gingerly and then took her out of the building.

She was still exhausted. Oh. Scary thought: _What if she dreamt all that?_ What if none of it was real?

 _That’s crazy, Darcy,_ she thought to herself. _You can’t make this stuff up._ The intern shook her head, reassuring herself that if she were dreaming, Thor would have been naked. It only made sense.

Right? Right.

* * *

Stephen was glad to see them go. He was happy seeing the chemistry between them ignite. After all, it meant the timeline was mending the error they had unwittingly made. Personally, Stephen blamed Odin for interfering, even if it _was_ a difficult mistake to prevent. But then again… 

Why did their timeline have to be so… so _strange?_

He walked down the eerily too-empty corridor with buzzing thoughts. His steps were quiet; a technique and habit he learned from sneaking behind Wong after magic became too easy to catch. That surprised him. Other things from before had stuck with him while others had just gone away. Christine, his scars, his magic…

His magic had disappeared, never to return before 2012 (a precaution he had taken to make sure nothing changed with the sorcerers), so using any spells without Loki would be impossible. He wanted to keep a large portion of history the same.

He wanted to make sure everything that really mattered would stay—

“Strange,” a familiar voice came from behind him. “We need to talk.”

Stephen couldn’t speak. His tongue was fat in his mouth, too. He remembered the cold hand gripping his, the light leaving her eyes. He remembered how foolish he was… He shook his head, trying to get rid of the memories.

Trying to get rid of _her._

“Mister Strange,” she said impatiently, “I really don’t have all day. This year is important for you, isn’t it? The year you meet Christine Palmer, the year you move to New York City… the year Thor, God of Thunder, learns of humanity’s precious qualities…”

Without turning around, Stephen said in a wobbling voice, “I really can’t speak with you.” 

“Why not?” Her cool tone only made Stephen’s heart speed up, and the annoyed undercurrent—he was embarrassed to even think about it—frightened him. He heard her footsteps slowly but deafeningly approach him. 

“It isn’t time,” he said firmly. His teeth gnashed together, grinding against each other as he tried his hardest to ignore her. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Not time, then? What knowledge of the future do you have, Mister Strange?”

“Plenty,” he snarled. “And it’s _Doctor_ Strange.” He whipped around, his heart thumping in his throat. He didn’t see her, nor any remnant of a sling window. Had he imagined it? Possibly.

But she could have also been there, too.

* * *

“So the plan is that we’re going to go talk to Jane and act surprised when all of her stuff turns out missing, _then_ we’re going to that government base and you’re going to try and lift the hammer?” Darcy asked, cocking her head. They had stopped at a café to get Darcy some coffee. Thor was surprised and delighted to find the money in his wallet for it. Maybe Odin had the right idea for sending him to Earth, but it wasn’t the time.

Either that, or Stephen slipped him about five hundred dollars.

Darcy sipped her coffee, locking eyes with him. His face warmed. How could he have looked her over completely? Thought of her as any less than Jane? The more time he spent with her, the faster he was beginning to notice how alike they were. He was finding her easier to talk to than Jane had been. It was almost an admission instead of a realization. 

“That is exactly what we’re going to do, Darcy,” Thor said with a grin. 

She frowned. “But what if you get in trouble?”

“I have that under control,” he said. In truth, he was hoping that Stephen’s fake ID (how he got it so fast without a spell, Thor was none the wiser) would work just as well as the fake ID of _Doctor Donald Blake_. He needed to see Phil Coulson and become a national threat; if he didn’t, he would never be investigated. The last time he went to that base, Loki had visited him and told him their father was dead.

Hopefully this time, there would be more truth in their conversation.

“Yeah, but still. Is that what you want to happen?” Darcy questioned. 

Thor gave a quick nod. 

“Okay. But, like, what if things don’t go the way you want? Do we improvise or what? Will you lightning your way out?” 

“I’ll try not to use my lightning bolts,” Thor admitted. “I want you to try and stay safe, and if you can, steal as much as you can carry back for Jane.”

“Can I ask a question?” She set her coffee down and looked at the table. She picked at a small spot on the surface. Darcy was slow to meet his eyes.

“Of course,” Thor smiled. His heart leapt softly in his ribs, wondering if this question was important or if it was one he could answer later. “You can always ask me anything.”

Darcy took a deep breath in, closing her eyes as she turned her coffee cup around and around in circles. “You said you were from the future and everything. Assuming that’s true, it would explain why you keep talking about Jane. Do you and her ever fall in love?”

Thor was caught off guard. “Erm…” He scratched at his beard, trying to come up with an answer. “In that future, yes, but things changed throughout the years. I don’t want her anymore.” It was an alien sound from his mouth, but it came so naturally. Either he meant it, or he was taking after Loki. 

Darcy smirked. Then tried to hide it. “Is there anyone you do want? At the moment?”

For all the things Darcy was turning out to be, she was definitely smooth. She wasn’t stuttering. She was staring him down. Thor took his time to study the exact shade of blue her irises were, and how dilated her pupils were… She looked like a goddess…

“At the moment, I’m not sure,” he said. It was mostly true. Thor wanted to deny his slowly developing attraction to her, but it was difficult to really say no to those feelings. “But later? Who knows.”

“You’re crazy,” Darcy laughed. She had such a pretty smile.

“Thank you,” he said automatically. She giggled. He took her hand. Darcy blushed.

They locked eyes. 

“You’re sweet,” she said, leaning over the table. Thor brushed her hair out of her eyes. She cupped his face, Thor closed his eyes… puckered his lips…

She pulled something off his cheek. “Eyelash. What are you doing?”

Thor’s eyes fluttered open. He flushed. “Nothing.”


	7. Chapter VI: Even Dying for It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this is filler but at this point I can't tell 😂

“Loki, I must urge you to think carefully about this,” Odin said, voice clipped with a sort of fear. Unfortunately, Odin had no other option. Asgard needed someone to stand by, and whether Frigga was aware, Odin knew— _Loki_ could _tell_ he knew—the Odinsleep was fastly approaching.

Loki felt triumphant.

“Think carefully? Father, just as Thor, I’ve been trained to take the throne someday,” Loki said smoothly. “Am I not allowed to worry over my weary parent? My king?” He carefully stepped in front of Odin. “We both know you’re exhausted.”

Odin’s mouth twisted like he tasted something sour. He twirled his staff in his fingers, darting a poisonous glare at the prince. “How did you know it was approaching, my son?”

“Father, I’ve picked up your habits; I recognize them with ease,” he lied. He looked into Odin’s eyes, difficult as it was, and tried to seem as convincing as he could. “You sent Thor to Midgard. Let me run Asgard, we can get Mother to help you.”

“You’d only be regent,” Odin said sternly. Loki bit his lip, bowing his head deeply in acknowledgement. 

“As you say, Allfather.” 

Now, he could easily reach Thor. Perhaps he could prove himself as Thor’s equal… without violence. Mostly. He tried not to smirk devilishly at how simple this was turning out to be. The timeline could be saved, Asgard could stand for another million years, and the death of trillions could be prevented. It all came down to Loki making sure Thor was safe and worthy; making sure he could get the girl without anything to worry over… 

Odin’s body language still told the world of his reluctance and mistrust. _His prejudice,_ Loki’s thoughts suggested with mutiny.

“Is something wrong, Father?” Loki looked up. 

Odin ducked his head, avoiding Loki’s eyes. He cleared his throat, and in a feeble voice he said: “You cannot rule Asgard, my son. Not permanently.” He cleared his throat out. 

“Why not? The only difference between Thor and I is size,” he tried, rushing out a small, humorless breath that resembled a chuckle. “Where Thor lacks, I make up for. I’m also big enough to admit he makes up for my missing components, too.”

Odin’s eyes flew open. “Loki, you’re not—”

“Not your favorite? Not the firstborn? There are no laws about that, Father. I’ve read as many scrolls as you have.” He could have sworn that Odin swallowed in fear. Loki stepped closer. “You raised your sons with congruent talent. Thor would agree.”

“Thor would _not_ agree,” Odin scoffed.

“How would you know? It’s almost like you’re keeping something from me,” Loki mused with a very sneaky frown. “A loving father wouldn’t hide anything as large as a reason not to take the throne.”

Odin turned his head away, raising his hand up to silence the younger man. “Enough! I’ve already agreed; you need not manipulate me further.”

With a snide sneer, Loki said gently: “I don’t understand, Father.”

“Then you won’t. Go: take the throne. I’ll consult your mother.” Odin put the staff in his hands gingerly, but less hesitantly. “I’ll see you when I wake, my son… Make me proud.”

His last words were not out of courtesy. They were an order.

“Yes, Father,” Loki said, loving the weight of the staff in his hands. He looked down at the glittering gold that somehow never smudged from fingerprints and grinned.

The first order of business was to earn the respect and admiration of the people. In a day, he had to visit his brother. Loki was determined to keep Asgard safe at any cost…

Even if it meant dying for it.

* * *

It was about three hours after all of Jane’s research was taken when Thor returned with Darcy. He was nervous, as he had never been present the first time, but it turned out that it wasn’t as different from before. 

He realized he had never seen the Smith building with all of the equipment. He had only seen it empty, almost a day after S.H.I.E.L.D. had stolen from Jane, and he was still only focused on her rather than his surroundings. Perhaps he had been too afraid to accept he didn’t know what was going on and chose to focus on the first thing he saw.

That didn’t turn out well for anyone.

“Darcy!” Jane yelled, running toward her. Thor nervously stepped back as Jane embraced Darcy with a sigh and a tiny sob. He’d watched her be sensitive and caring. Thor smiled gently, nostalgic. Darcy held onto Jane tightly, rocking her just as much as Jane was. “They took all of my research, Darcy, they took your laptop—”

“Oh, my dear, sweet Celestia,” Darcy gasped. She looked back at Thor, then to Jane. She seemed to finally believe him. Maybe.

“—and now we have to start from scratch—I’m sorry, but did you say _Celestia?”_ Jane pulled away, holding Darcy at arm’s length. Thor watched with confusion. Was Celestia some sort of deity he didn’t know about? Was she another god he hadn’t met? 

“Yeah, Jane, but who stole our stuff?” Thor watched Darcy wave it off mindlessly, going straight to what was important. She moved away from Jane, taking a step or two closer to Thor. Instinctively, he moved to meet her in the middle. 

Jane gave her wild eyes, but answered. “S.H.I.E.L.D. did, but why did you say Celestia? Isn’t she from the cartoon you watch—?”

 _“My Little Pony,”_ Darcy reminded her. She leaned her head on Thor’s shoulder. She looked up at him with a smirk. “Princess Celestia is amazing, and _you,_ Thor, should watch it with me some time.” 

Thor’s face tingled with heat. “I don’t know if we can, Lady Darcy, but I’m certainly intrigued.”

“Just call me Darcy, please. And it’s cool that you were right about S.H.I.E.L.D. You know, unless you’re with them, but we’ll see; right?” She grinned and gently pushed him with her fist. He caught her hand, beaming.

“I’m not with them. They’re actually trying to track me.” Thor bit his lip. “Besides, the way things are going, I’m not sure what will happen.” Darcy shrugged.

“2012, bro.” She laughed, then paused. “Also, did you try to kiss me at the coffee shop?”

Thor flushed, unsure of what to answer. He had never been nervous about this type of thing before; any other time, he had been too busy for the likes of women, or he had effortlessly won the prize he was after. In Darcy’s case, she was a mystery that was slowly engulfing him whether he liked it or not. 

And as for liking it? He hadn’t made his mind up.

“He _what_?” Jane asked.

“He’s not answering, so he must have been trying to kiss me,” Darcy said, closing her eyes and nodding her head in an expert way. 

“I wasn’t trying to kiss you,” Thor tried, yet was ultimately failing. “I thought you were—I—”

“It’s _okay,_ big guy, I’m messing with you. I actually thought it was cute, even though I’m not ready for anything like kissing.” She smiled. Thor tried to get rid of the thick paste his tongue had become and make it move. “Maybe some other time, though?”

“I wasn’t trying to kiss you,” he said one more time. He added a forced laugh to try and convince her… or himself. Either way, it wasn’t going to happen and he couldn’t pretend like he wanted it.

But he did want something. He just wasn’t sure of what it was, yet.

“Back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. thing,” Darcy chirped. “Why were they after our stuff?”

“They never said,” Erik’s voice came not-so-distantly. He stood next to Jane and rested his hand on her shoulder. Darcy smiled widely at the sight of him. Thor wondered if they would all be able to bond like they had before. He was really comparing everything to the old timeline, but there was something oddly peaceful about this one (even with the large amount of stress). “What did you two run off to do?”

“We went to see the doctor that was hanging around Thor weirdly. It turns out they were friends.” Darcy took Thor’s hand and dragged him inside. “We’ll chat it out in a bit, Erik, but I have to do something!”

“Where are we going?” Thor asked quietly. Almost immediately, their hands entwined felt no different than touching his own skin. 

“We’re going to get stuff to get your Mewmew back.” Darcy opened the door to the Smith building, pulling him inside. He let her lead him like a hound.

“Mjölnir,” he corrected. 

“Tuh-mato, to-maht-o.”

They went up the stairs inside the Smith building, going straight to the top. The view was to die for, all the buildings and the desert out on display for the world. Thor’s gaze got lost in the horizon, watching the cumulus clouds form with anticipation _—his_ anticipation. He was ready for something to happen, but with the way his heart was pounding and pulsating a rhythm through his veins.

“Midgard will always be my favorite realm,” he murmured. He had so many reasons to love it. As he looked back to see what Darcy was rummaging through, he realized he had a new reason. He smiled gently to himself. 

She grabbed an extra taser, and rope. “Do you want anything to take to the base?”

“No,” he answered truthfully. “Darcy?”

“Yeah, Thor?” She tossed her hair onto her face. “What’s up?”

“Am I wrong in thinking there’s an attraction between us?” he asked.

“No, you’re not,” she said, her face turning rosier. “I just don’t think it’s smart to act on it so soon. Do you?”

“No, I don’t, either. But if getting my hammer works, I may not see you for a long time.” Thor rested his foot against an empty box. “I might have to fight a war or fix whatever my brother broke, and if it’s like the last time, it could be a year or two.”

“So you’re saying that if somehow, I fall madly in love with you, it isn’t your fault if I never see you for an extended period of time? If you’re really some kind of Norse god, Thor, I totally understand that. You don’t have all the time in the galaxy to waste on little old me.” She smiled shyly, looking down at whatever she was fiddling with. “Jane might’ve gotten upset over that, but every boyfriend she’s had, she said they kind of lost interest and ignored her for months at a time.”

“Truly?” He frowned. Thor supposed he counted among those men, now, even though he technically never had a romantic relationship with her now.

“Yeah. But then again, she’s had numerous boyfriends and I’ve only had the one back in middle school who smelled like feet. I’ve had one night stands and FWBs, but nothing permanent or romantic.” Darcy looked out at the horizon like Thor had before. “How is it you’re not married, anyhow? I want to know how some girl hasn’t snapped you up, yet.”

“I just haven’t met the right one, I suppose,” he told her. When her eyes moved, he realized that she had been looking right at him. Right in his eyes. Most women never made it to the eyes. His face warmed, again.

“Let me know when you do.” Her lips tugged into a grin. Thor thought she looked lovely when she smiled like that.

“I will. Thank you, Darcy.”

* * *

Stephen hadn’t seen her since the last time she had tried to sneak up on him. He hoped the Ancient One wasn’t trying to ruin what was already in place. Part of him knew she wouldn’t, not if she knew what was going to happen, but the other part of him thought she would still want to keep the timeline as it was, make him go back and fix things.

He couldn’t. And wouldn’t.

If only there was some way to make her show herself. Let him explain!

He turned a corner, and bumped into someone. That someone fell onto the floor. “Oof! Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said. _She._

“No, it was my fault,” Stephen replied, helping the woman up. He was too scared to look her in the face. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, I’m so, so sorry.” He looked up at her. “Is it Miss or Doctor?” He almost melted from how beautiful she looked. There was nothing more lovelier than her, he could attest to that plainly. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen someone even close.

“It’s Doctor Christine Palmer,” she said with a small smile. She laughed awkwardly, but Strange only turned to butter. Quickly, Christine added on, “Nice cheekbones.”

He motioned to the mask. “Sorry I have it on, I was on my way to clean up and I guess I forgot.” He pulled it down under his chin. He smiled. “I’m sorry for running into you… I’m on my twenty-sixth hour.”

“That’s okay,” she said, wiping her forehead. “I was visiting my cousin in the hospital, and ah, they needed someone with experience in ER to… Man, I can’t even remember. I did it, and I was going to change and help my cousin with her baby. Why am I telling you this? I’m sorry, it’s like I’ve met you before?”

“I’m Doctor Stephen Strange, and I work at Metro-General Hospital,” he said. “I was just called in to do a surgery. Very experimental.” He vaguely remembered the surgery. It was so long ago, now. He quickly jutted out his hand to shake. She reciprocated, and grinned.

“Maybe that’s where I’ve seen you. I work there, too.” 

“Really? How interesting we’re both in New Mexico,” he laughed. “Maybe we can catch a plane together.”

“Maybe,” she said with a flirtatious smile. Stephen really wished he had the Cloak of Levitation, again; he didn’t know he could miss a relic, but he _was_ sorely missing it.

“I do have to go, though, Doctor Palmer.” He shrugged with a grin. “Maybe I’ll see you again, and it was nice bumping into you.”

“It was nice bumping into you, too.” She winked and went on her way.

That got Christine out of the way. What next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been very busy! Sorry it took so long to update!


	8. Chapter VII: Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Stephen and Darcy POVs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed one of the previous chapters, noticing I had an error where I had put “2016” instead of “2012.” I fixed that, so if you read it before I changed it Loki says something about 2012 and this is not a plot hole.

The bar was loud, musical, and smelled like liquor and men. Not that Thor  _ disliked _ the smell of liquor and men—it just didn’t seem like Darcy’s scene when he first met her. Then again, it was exactly her scene.

Darcy was slamming her hands against the bar counter, laughing at a stupid joke she had made. He couldn’t remember it, even though she had said it a second ago, but he laughed along. Darcy’s face was red, blotchy, and adorable. Though she had drank a little too much than was good for her, she wasn’t crying, screaming, or fighting anyone. 

Thor was encapsulated by her charm, no matter how drunk she was. She locked her blue eyes with his. 

“That is hilarious,” he complimented. Darcy giggled, folding her arms and resting her head against them.

“Yeah? At least the God of Sparkles can laugh, eh?” Darcy snorted, giving him a twinkling smile. He melted, resting his head next to hers. “Sparkly hands, sparkly teeth, sparkly eyes…”

“You’re a beautiful spirit, Miss Lewis,” he said. Darcy reached over and held his hand. He didn’t pull away, but he couldn’t let her embarrass herself in this state. His heart thumped painfully in his throat. 

“Hey, Thor?”

“Yes, Darcy?”

“Did you know that you’re smoking hot? Man, you are  _ so _ pretty.” She laughed again, sitting up to stroke Thor’s beard. 

Thor was finding himself too close to Darcy for the second time that evening—before he knew what she was doing, at that—and reluctantly sat back. “Darcy, I have to say no to whatever you think you’re doing.”

“I’m gonna make out with you, silly!” Darcy draped herself over Thor, her head on his chest. She snickered vigorously, scrunching up her nose from the drink. Thor gulped, blood rushing through his body like racing horses on a track.

That was when Thor paid the bill, deciding to take Darcy back to Jane’s for the night. He slapped enough money onto the counter in cash, then took Darcy by the hand. The girl hung on his arm, having trouble moving her feet as they left the bar. The silence of the night was strikingly refreshing, the cool breeze splashing his hot face. 

Was he blushing? Oh, by the Allfathers. 

“You’re not going to make out with me, not tonight,” Thor told her quietly. Darcy shrugged, making grabby hands. The universal sign to be picked up. 

Rolling his eyes with good nature, Thor tucked his arms behind her knees and shoulders, carrying her like a prince ought to. 

Darcy sighed deeply, staring up at the stars while Thor looked both ways on the street. “Soooo… Where are we going, Sparkles? Are we going to hang out? Are we gonna play  _ Seven Minutes in Heaven?” _

“We’re going to sober you up, Darcy,” Thor told her, walking down the dark, orange and red and green tinted streets. Darcy rested her head against Thor’s shoulder, humming an  _ I don’t know  _ to him as they wandered. He looked around the town, memorizing the neon lights; the gravel beneath his feet; traffic signals; the mixed aromas of cigarettes, gasoline, and rain. 

Darcy was light in his arms, he found. As the god took in the other scents, other sights, he rested his senses on Darcy Lewis. She was resting, eyes closed, but Thor found her adorable. She had been wonderful company for the evening and—oh! She smelled sweet and fruity. 

She nuzzled into his shirt, her own brown jacket getting wrinkled against his clothing. Darcy was a blessing from the Norns and the Allfathers, an angel that Stephen Strange accurately predicted Thor would need. Maybe not as a lover, a wife, or a queen, but he needed her help and her friendship.

Drunkenly, Darcy murmured, “You stink like tires… or just electricity… or… boots…”

Thor chuckled, kissing her hairline. Darcy grinned. “Thank you,” Thor told her. “Sleep, now.”

Tearing his eyes from her, Thor looked around, away from distractions and toward the skyline. The inky black horizon melted into the ground. Jane always loved sunsets and stars—Thor was curious to find out what he enjoyed about Midgard on his own, to experience everything freshly with a friend instead of a childish lover. 

He took long strides to the Smith’s building, getting lost in the rhythm. Left, right, left, right. Part of him wanted to go native, stay and get used to this second chance, take the left path; however, the second part of him knew that everything he had once cared about would be worthless the moment he abandoned being the hero people needed—the right path. Thor realized, very quickly in that moment, that he could not lose his eye and see with it, too.

Thor didn’t want to face the next choice. The choice that could make or break his fate? He didn’t want that. It was too late to pretend he didn’t know what it was, though: he could stay with Darcy, or save lives.

The wind blew through his hair, stinging his eyes. No. Tears stung his eyes. He couldn’t be happy, yet. Stephen Strange had said that he needed to fall in love with Darcy to prevent that crisis, those quadrillions of deaths, but how could he let himself? How could he yearn for what he couldn’t have?

His brain kept repeating the same sentence over and over.  _ He could stay with Darcy, or save lives. He could stay with Darcy, or save lives.  _

“I’m a bigger fool than I was then,” he mumbled. “I can’t have a queen, a wife, or my freedom… I certainly can’t have them together.”

“What did you say, babes?” she asked, cuddling him. Thor slowed his pace, hoping that in some silly, miniscule way, it would extend his time with her. He hoped it would extend his time in this pocket of content, where Darcy was his companion and he wasn’t a prince.

_ He could stay with Darcy, or save lives. _

“I have to leave very soon, princess,” Thor answered softly, “but I’m going to talk to you about it when you’re awake and refreshed.”

Darcy yawned, wrapping her arms around the prince’s neck lightly. “Okay, Thor.”

* * *

Stephen was pacing the quiet hallways of the hospital, brows furrowed and shoulders tight. He had met Christine, he had met the Ancient One early, and he had been waiting on Loki to talk to him, give him an update. Hopefully, Thor would have made things easier for all of them by making S.H.I.E.L.D. privy to alien life. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his powers to tell him how everything was going. 

Of all the things Stephen could remember from that future, of all the things he still knew how to do, he couldn’t do any magic. He was starting to regret preventing his own powers. 

Stephen went into the break room, rubbing his forehead as he passed door after door. His feet clicked against the tile briskly, becoming the beat to the tune of his thoughts. He was dizzy from the thought of being out of control of his situation. He was nauseous from having everything he had loved stripped from him, again. He was tired. He knew just how Thor felt, he could only wonder at how Loki felt. 

He sighed and stopped walking. They all had to make sacrifices; why did he feel like he didn’t really lose anything? Was there something wrong with him? “If there was a way to—”

Stephen didn’t get to finish his thought. 

Behind him, there was a small crash, a scuffle. Lights flickered in the corridor, loud sizzling coming from the bulbs. Stephen’s heart sank. There would never be a moment of solitude, again. 

Footsteps were behind him.

He dared look behind him. “Oh, shhhhi…”

Someone was running toward him.

Cold hands had turned him then pushed him into an empty office, shutting the door. Stephen fell to the floor, the breath knocked out of his lungs as a small boot stood on his chest. He couldn’t see his assailant ( _ Could they be an assailant, yet? _ he wondered), but he could feel the warmth of their breath and the cool tip of a blade next to his ear. 

“Sorry about that,” a deep, dainty voice said. He got off of Stephen, helping the doctor up. Strange wanted to wring Loki’s neck more than ever. “I just went to see Thor, everything on his end is shaping up. My father left me in charge of the throne whilst he rests.”

“I should put you back into the Endless Chasm of Angradbrodrr,” the once-wizard growled. Loki scoffed and pulled out a small light. He looked different, all right: short hair, smoother along the eyes, mouth, and jaw. The past few years had really been unkind to him. 

“By the Allfathers. You’re a child,” Loki laughed. Stephen rolled his eyes and stood up.

“Yeah, yeah. Look at yourself.”

“How do we bring the Chitauri without dabbling in his games?” the young god asked, delving right into the subject at hand. “I can’t be tortured like that, again, Strange… please…”

“I haven’t figured that out, yet,” he admitted. He wiped his face, brushing under his nose. “I don’t have any powers until next year. I can’t help you by being there; not until January.” He started to sway on his feet nervously. 

Within an instant, his memories flashed through the hospital, the watch, the radio…  _ the car. _ He had just gotten his hands back. Would that be his sacrifice? Would that be what he had to say goodbye to? Thor giving up his love, Loki giving up his crown, and Stephen giving up his hands. 

Strength, mind, and heart. The question was, which was which and who was who?

“…you’ll have to crash again; won’t you?” Loki asked.

Stephen picked his head up, staring wildly. “How did you know about that?”

“I have my ways,” Loki answered vaguely. He cricked his neck, putting his hands together in thought. “Besides, it only seemed fair after our disagreement. Only now, you have someone who could orchestrate it for you. Timeline saved.”

“Saved, eh?”

“You help me, I help you. You know, Strange, after this, we’ll be family if you think about it.” Loki crossed his arms.

_ “Family?  _ No.” He huffed a false chuckle.

“Why not? It’s six years. No one else will understand the three of us. Be our brother. It would be an honor.”

“He can’t be your brother,” a voice said, the door opening, “because this whole adventure ends now.” 

They both turned slowly, bracing themselves.

The Ancient One stood in the doorway, the Eye of Agamotto around her neck. She had her arms up in a fighting stance, and her freezing eyes hardened more. 

“I’ll be damned,” both men said together. 

* * *

The walk home was a daze to Darcy, being honest. She had only gotten a little drunk, but other than napping, she could only remember Thor’s warm laugh and radiating body heat. The way Thor was acting made her realize something serious was still happening, so she tried her hardest to sober up. Evidently, she fell asleep from the effort. As she started to wake up, she could hear the low, thunderous tones of Thor’s voice. 

“I found this in her jacket,” he said to someone. Her heart raced. He went through her jacket? Darcy gripped the garment tightly. 

“Thank you for bringing her home,” Jane’s voice came. “Um, and thanks for my, uh, notebook. Now I won’t have to start from scratch.” 

A wave of relief washed through Darcy. The journal! She had forgotten about it. Heck, she had forgotten kissing Thor for a moment—how do you forget a thing like that? She got up off the trailer mini bed (how she got there, she could only assume it was Muscles) and wandered outside to see the two talking. 

Thor was smiling and just in general being friendly. Darcy didn’t know him as well as she knew Jane, but he wasn’t flirting. Jane  _ was,  _ though. Darcy tugged the jacket on her shoulders around her tighter, walking over to Thor and Jane. 

“Darcy!” Thor said happily. He seemed a little sad, too. She smiled at him. Thor opened his arms and she took that as an invitation to sit on him. He wrapped his arms around her. “Did you sleep some of that off?”

“I don’t even have a headache. Your doing?” Darcy asked. 

“It was.”

She smiled broadly and kissed his cheek gratefully. “Thanks, Sparkles.”

Darcy could pretend that she didn’t feel a teeny tiny bit happy that Jane was giving her the craziest look of surprise. So she had snagged the cutie. Maybe not romantically, maybe romantically, who cared? She had all the time in the world to figure out what she and Thor could be.

Nothing was going to happen. 


	9. Chapter VIII: Accidentally In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrote half of this while watching Shrek 2 and I've been SOO busy, so I'm sorry for the wait!! Also, Darcy and Thor bond!

Getting inside the compound seemed a thousand times easier than the last time. Thor never did anything simpler. The evening was going by quickly. He barely had time to touch the hammer’s handle before he was taken to be interrogated.

Thor wasn’t upset the hammer didn’t move. As far as he was concerned, he wasn’t worthy for Mjölnir. He understood that. Odin had no idea that Thor was a different man, now.

Even from the last time he had seen his brother, he had changed. Thor was always changing; always turning into someone who was terrified, yet fought; someone who lost so much, yet cared deeply, still. There was so much opportunity with this new timeline, so much chance to be a happy ruler or a happy pauper. Anything could happen now.

Thor would have rolled his eyes at the idea of being someone entirely different within days, once. He didn’t roll his eyes at anything, anymore.

As he was escorted by security, Thor’s eyes skimmed the details of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s base without taking anything in. They were only taking in the white and the blinding lights, the small shadows, and how one of the guards smelled like lemons. It was all a blur, looking back, but the exhausting events of destroying Asgard, going back through time, and bonding with Stephen were catching up with him. _Finally._

He was tired! 

Before he knew it, he was sitting in a chair facing Phil Coulson and being asked questions that meant nothing to him. Coulson was well-meaning and determined, with smile lines that gave away the kindness of his eyes. His voice was soothing and terrifying all at once. Thor thought it sounded like an oiled trumpet. 

“You know, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to help you, Mr. Reynolds,” he said snidely. “You won’t answer my questions. Just ‘I don’t know.’”

Thor picked up his head to look at him. “You won’t get any other answers, my friend.”

He huffed out a humorless laugh at the word _friend._ “Are you in league with H.Y.D.R.A.?” Coulson’s expression was friendly: a grin, soft eyes. Beneath that, anyone could see his hostility. Thor didn’t notice how territorial he could be from their first encounter. 

_An encounter I just replaced,_ the god thought to himself.

“No,” he answered honestly. “I’m not.” He sat up, chest swelling defensively.

Phil’s lip twitched. “How did you manage to get inside?”

“I’m a god,” Thor said with a sort of smile. It wasn’t like Coulson’s, whose was a display, but more like Loki’s: several different meanings under the guise of friendship.

“You’re a god, eh?” Phil scoffed and rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms and started pacing on his thin, long legs. He had thin, long everything. Thor watched him with determination; intensity. 

“Yes,” he told the agent. “I’m a god; do you see that hammer out there? It belongs to me.” He rested his elbows on his knees. Coulson met his gaze.

Phil seemed a tad puzzled. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not.” Thor sat up, again, resting his back against the chair. He looked into the agent’s eyes with dominance. 

Coulson pursed his lips, sighing deeply, gaze never wavering. He cocked his head and put his hands together.

Obviously, this interrogation wasn’t going as planned. 

“You know what? I’m going to talk about this with my superiors; I’ll be right back.” He waved his hand at Thor and pinched his nose. He exhaled—it sounded like a sort of wheeze—and then walked out of the makeshift interrogation room. 

…And right on cue, Loki materialized in front of him.

“Hello, brother.” The younger prince gave his thunder god a crooked smile. “I hope I haven’t kept you or Stephen waiting?”

“You definitely took your time,” Thor pointed out. He rubbed his neck. “What’s happening on Asgard? Are things going as they should?”

“Some things have changed rather, er, drastically,” he started. Thor waited for him to continue, unimpressed.

“Go on,” he ordered.

“Well, before, I found out my… lineage after you had been exiled, if you remember.” Loki started playing with his hands. His gaze went to his shoes, but anyone could see the smirk starting to form. “I avoided the conflict completely, leaving Father to his Odinsleep with just a _little_ bit of anxiety.”

“What did you do?”

Loki stopped, chuckling nervously. “What do you mean? I’ve done nothing important, Thor—”

“Loki, what did you _do?”_ Thor growled. He knitted his brows together. 

Loki leaned in, holding onto his staff tightly. “I’ve convinced Father to make me regent of Asgard. To him, all I know is that you and I could rule equally.” Thor smiled, and Loki smirked and laughed mischievously.

“Rule equally? You don’t want the throne to yourself?” the elder asked. He turned his arm so he could rest more heavily on his other elbow.

“You and I both know you’re more charismatic,” Loki said with faux humility. 

“I am, aren’t I? When can I come home?”

“Whenever you’re worthy, again, I suppose.” Loki took a deep breath and looked about the room like he was looking for someone. “I can’t bring you home; that could ruin the timeline.”

“I know. How is Mother?” Thor asked. 

Their mother… the thought was harrowing.

“I… I haven’t spoken to her, yet,” Loki replied. His gaze went to his feet. “For all she knows, I’m just missing you. Although, it would be unfortunate for our sakes if Heimdall tells her about our plan.”

 _“Heimdall_ knows?” Thor gaped. His eyes popped. 

“He had to know.”

“Loki—”

“I have to go now. Goodbye.” Loki dematerialized. Thor grumbled profanities in Asgardian.

“Goodbye,” he sighed. 

The air was quiet. Phil Coulson came back inside. “Goodbye? I just got back in here.”

* * *

Darcy Lewis was standing awkwardly by the evidence table. She was talking with a security guard. Well, talking _at_ a security guard. He barely acknowledged her. Darcy kept repeating, “Hey, um, Harris Reynolds? Have you seen him?” 

How she remembered _that_ name, she had no idea. She barely had time to look at Thor’s fake ID card before Dr. Strange shoved it in her wallet and told her not to touch it in case it was scanned for prints. 

In this situation, she was glad for that. 

The security guard didn’t answer her. No matter how many times she tried, he just kept staring at the skyline and saying, “Ma’am, your husband will be released when we’re done with him.”

Darcy didn’t understand why he thought they were married, but she wouldn’t correct him if it meant Thor got released. “Yeah, when is that, exactly?”

The security guard’s lips dimpled to keep a straight face. After that, Darcy just decided to give up. She didn’t want to get arrested or yelled at. She could wait. She could wait, yeah—

Something caught Darcy’s eye. 

Something brown, thick, and she had seen it a million times in Jane’s hands. It was sitting on a table, right next to a bunch of other things that belonged to Jane. If Darcy hadn’t seen it so many times before, she would have missed it. 

The notebook with Jane’s research was just an arm reach away. She could take it. But she needed a distraction. 

Darcy’s blood pumped viciously as she tiptoed closer to the little book. It was just a journal! It could fit into her jacket pocket! What harm could be done!?

“Mrs. Reynolds—”

“Ms. Lewis,” she corrected automatically, jumping from the sound of a voice. She hadn’t even moved her arm, yet! She snapped her head to look at the balding, thin man who had taken Thor in the first place. 

“ _Ms. Lewis,_ Mr. Reynolds is done with his, ah, interview,” the balding guy said. Darcy cleared her throat.

“Thank you. Um, can I, er, see my, uh, husband?” Husband. Wow. That was what Dr. Strange came up with. That Even-Stephen. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. “Or do I have to wait?”

“You don’t have to wait. He’s just getting his prints… except for the fact that his fingers are coming back with Norse knots.” He squinted his eyes in confusion as he looked at the ground. 

“Oh, yeah, he burned them off then r-redid them with burning.” Darcy cleared her throat. She looked at her feet then at Baldy. He didn’t seem suspicious. 

“Your husband will be right out,” he said, then walked away. Darcy swiped the journal quickly, putting it in her jacket as Thor stepped out of the tent-thingy. He looked at her. She flushed and kept her arms at her side as he grinned and walked up to her. 

“Hey, Th—Harris!” Darcy greeted, speed-walking to the god and giving a strained smile. 

“Hello, Darcy.” His eyes glittered in the faint light. Darcy took his hand and stuck it in her jacket, right under her boob. 

Under her breath, she instructed, “Keep your hand there and do as I do.”

Thor barely had time to nod and hold the journal in place before Darcy pulled his face down to kiss him roughly. Darcy could tell that the surprised “Mmf!” was a good one, laughing into the kiss before pulling away with a _pop._

“Let’s go, right, _Harris?”_ She added emphasis on his fake name, hoping to relay to the dork it didn’t mean anything between them—well, other than saving his butt. 

Thor was dumbstruck, but seemed to understand. “Erm, yes. How about dinner at a fine restaurant? Or a bar?” He smirked. Darcy’s heart rate escalated higher than a bottle rocket’s trajectory. Thor’s smirk only widened when he saw her reaction. 

“A bar. With chicken wings. Did Strange give you any money?”

“My father did. I have quite a lot; they left my wallet for me.” He gave a happy grin, tucking an arm around Darcy’s waist. After they left, he asked, “Did you agree only for appearances?”

“What? Oh, uh, only if you asked for appearances.” Darcy’s cheeks burned. 

“I didn’t. Thank you for getting us out of there, though.”

Darcy, still in the crook of Thor’s arm, shoved playfully against him. “You’re welcome, Sparkles.”

“Sparkles?”

“Yeah. Or I could call you Twilight Sparkle. Heck, if you want to take things to the next level tonight, I might just cuddle you while we watch _My Little Pony_.” Darcy giggled at her dumb joke.

“…the next level?” Thor asked. He arched a brow. “Do you mean… sleeping tog—?”

“What? No! No, that’s not what I meant. You’re a nice guy and everything but I don’t play like that.” Darcy should have watched her words. Thor didn’t seem bothered by it. 

“I don’t mind. It’s dishonorable before marriage, and my parents have yet to betroth me,” he said. Betroth? Darcy’s heart sank, oddly. 

“Oh.”

“I was joking about the betrothal bit,” he said, stopping. Darcy stopped too. “But, for the sake of whatever we have, I would gladly watch your little ponies with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added in a missing sentence or two.


	10. Chapter IX: Linchpins and Inevitables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki tries to save Asgard. Darcy learns about Thor’s home and realizes she has to let go of Thor if she's ever going to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions, please ask me at my Tumblr for BA: https://thor-and-mjolnir.tumblr.com

_-+Fourteen Hours Ago+-_

The echo of the golden scepter rang through the throne room, silencing the ever-singing chorus of thoughts in Loki’s brain (the helmet was heavy, too, but that didn’t matter). The Warriors Three gulped in fear, exchanging looks between themselves. Sif was the first to kneel, the men following suit as Loki’s brow lifted.

Loki always had a special respect for Sif; he couldn’t think of anyone else with a harder shell than her. She was practically the Princess of Asgard, whether it was due to the fact she had always been seen around Thor since she was small or the rumors that had been floating around the realm about a betrothal in the palace. Loki understood the rumors. Thor was going to be king, and Lady Sif was the most beautiful woman any man had ever beheld: strong, confident, tall, and stoic.

If anyone in the land couldn’t expect a couple from Asgard’s darling and Asgard’s greatest warrior (and first female Captain), Loki would finally have a friend outside the castle. 

“What brings you here, Lady Sif?” Loki asked, voice soft. He sat up on the throne, ankles together and staff firm against the floor. “Men?”

Sif’s armor shifted as she breathed. “Your Majesty,” Sif said, head low as she spoke, “surely you can bring Thor back from his banishment? He has done nothing wrong—”

“Do _not_ ask me to contradict my father whilst he sleeps!” Loki snapped. Sif’s shoulders contracted as she jumped. The Warriors Three all picked their heads up enough to glare at the prince, silence hanging heavy in the air like a fog. He tightened his grip around the scepter, standing and walking down from the shining seat.

“Your Majesty, I meant no disrespect to the Allfather,” Sif whispered quickly, her eyes locked on the floor. Loki moved down the steps, his shadow falling over the lady. 

“Look at me,” Loki ordered, though he kept his voice gentle. It took all but a moment, but slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet Loki’s. Brown eyes with the wonderment of the night sky bore into his, drilling a silent plea into his soul. “Lady Sif, I cannot in good conscience bring my brother home. He… _understands_ that he cannot see our home until his task is complete.”

“Task?” she asked, shaking her head with confusion. Fandral reached out to give Sif comfort, but Hogun stopped him. Volstagg played with his beard quietly as tears sat in his eyes. They all seemed to care so much for Thor, and for the Lady Sif. “What task, Loki? He was banished!”

“The less you understand, the safer we’ll be,” he tried. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on keeping his temper controlled. “I understand your worry for him—”

“You understand nothing!” she spat. Sif stood up, arms up tightly as she was ready to fight. His belly fluttered. “You were always jealous of him; why wouldn’t you want him gone? Keep the throne for yourself?” Her burning brown eyes held a fiery passion Loki hadn’t ever seen directed towards him. She would kill him without hesitation if it came to it. 

“That isn’t fair.” Loki stepped forward, breast to breast with the warrioress. His nostrils flared; her chest heaved. He was getting under her skin, Sif was getting angry, and he _loved_ it. “You’ve always been in love with Thor; why wouldn’t you want him to be unhappy? Why wouldn’t you want to punish him for ignoring you?”

Galled, Sif slapped him.

Well, she tried to. Loki had grabbed her wrist and lowered it with twice the strength Sif had ever had. The Warriors Three gasped in unison. Sif’s eyes were as wide as Thor’s breastplates. 

“Attempt that again, and you’ll regret it,” he told her quietly. He dropped her hand, looking down at her from his nose. Icily, he nodded to the four of them. “Is there anything else you would like to attempt to Asgard’s royalty?” Loki took a few steps back, heels clunking against the sheer floors. “Or are the three of you numbskulls so unhonorable a _woman_ can assault a man?”

Of course, Loki was still making jabs at Sif. It was fun, and frankly, she got on his nerves. She didn’t even have to do much.

Sif’s eyes flew opened wide, her mouth twisting as if she tasted something sour. Loki expected this type of anger from Thor or Volstagg, who wore their hearts on their sleeves, but he did not expect such outrage from the lady so soon. Suddenly, a small gnarl in Loki’s sternum told him to run—the same one he felt when he saw the Hulk on Sakaar. He moved back, closer to the throne. Sif followed, drawing her sword.

“Lady Sif, I urge you to think about what you do next,” he said, lifting his hands up in a sort of surrender. Loki cleared his throat. “Have my words ever meant much more than jest?”

Sif didn’t stop. The men didn’t move, which Loki was going to kill them for. Then again, he supposed he deserved her fury. “If you don’t bring Thor back—”

“He doesn’t _want_ to come back. I swear.”

“—we’ll go to Heimdall—”

“Who understands exactly what’s going on.” 

Sif finally paused. “He does?”

Loki nodded. “Yes. He does.”

“He won’t listen to us, then?”

“He won’t let you ‘rescue’ Thor, who I doubt will go with you anyway.” Loki turned, his back facing the warriors. “And Sif? Warriors?” He glanced behind him, staring at the mighty woman he had always tossed aside. He had to gain her trust before he sent down the Destroyer. Sif had to be on his side.

“My liege?” she asked, lips tight in a line. Her tone made it obvious that the courtesy was reluctant. The men all looked up at him, but said nothing. Loki wet his lips, taking a breath.

“I’m sorry if I made any of you feel as if your worries were invalid. I also apologize to you, especially, my lady. We _all_ care deeply about Thor; not just me.” The prince sat down at the throne, trying his best to seem worried. The truth was, he wasn’t worried for his brother. Thor was smart. He would be able to figure out the Midgard aspect. “We’ll figure out a way to bring him home without risking further damage to Asgard.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Volstagg said, stepping in front of Sif before she made another mistake out of passion. They all bowed once more, then exited. Loki chewed his lip. He had to speak to Thor, configure a plan. He had promised to check in, too. 

He sat in contemplation. Loki had previously had six years to think on this throne and what he would do differently. There was so much, yet not enough thought. 

But one thing came back into his head, dropped like a stone: _the Jotun._

He hadn’t planned their defenses. He hadn’t gone to stop Laufey. His heart fell down to the pits of his belly, skin freezing. Small frost patches formed under his palms, climbing up and racing down the throne and staff.

“Oh, dear,” he whispered, gulping. “I’m in trouble.”

_-+Ten Hours Ago+-_

Loki strutted down the tunnels, chest heavy with anxiety. The temperature had gotten colder, but he was sweating with fear. Ice grew against the Casket in his grasp, sticking his fingers to the relic and burning them. His blood ran like ice through his veins, but he suspected it was more than just his worries that made his body freeze. 

His feet slapped against the damp passageway, perfectly unawares of anything but his own movements. Although, when the puddles and droplets made any noise, his ears pricked back and a current shot down his spine. “Oh, Thor will kill me,” he muttered. He held the Casket to his chest to try and calm himself. It wasn’t working. “Er—if Laufey doesn’t, anyway…”

So many times, Loki had reran this memory through his head. Confronting Laufey, simply hours before he killed him. Had he been foolish? Oh, certainly. But what if he did things differently? What if saving his father with genuine intentions changed things? 

A large lump sat in the back of Loki’s throat, not daring to think the next thought in his mind. He would get his hopes up. He would hurt himself more. Odin wouldn’t give him what he needed. 

Intrusively _,_ the voice in the back of his head hissed, _What if Father will finally be proud of me?_

He pushed the whisper back to the dark where it had come from, but it continued to eat at him as he walked through the portal to Jotunheim. The wind nipped at his nose and ears and enveloped him like a flood. 

The Jotun guards all lined the castle gate, bowing as Loki passed. Snickers, chuckles, and giggles filled his ears; the sound was the water in the basin of his head. The Casket grew heavy in his hands. Swiftly, he put it back in the space pocket he had created. 

Jotun surrounded him. Tall, deep-skinned men with designs shining in the non-existent light were in the corners of his eyes. He didn’t feel any different than before; he just felt like he was walking through a nightmare. 

When he got to the black, icy doors of the palace, he looked up into the blue storm clouds and shouted, “I wish to speak to Laufey!” 

There was a small rumble beneath his feet. The ground opened up in front of him, a frost giant stepping out into the dim light of the realm. “Loki,” he purred. Laufey smirked at his son, talking a large stride toward the dwarf giant. 

“Laufey,” he said quietly, looking up and down the elder for any apparent threats. There weren’t any. “Or should I say… _Father.”_

“So my son does know where he is from,” the king chuckled darkly. His red eyes glinted like blood. “What shall I do for you? You’ve brought the Casket to me, I saw. Where is it?”

“Actually,” Loki hissed, “I’ve come to make a bargain.”

Laufey grinned in amusement. “Oh?”

Loki lifted his head high and held out his hands. Laufey arched a brow. Loki felt like he was looking in a distorted mirror. “I surrender myself to you and your realm—but _only_ if you swear on the Casket—and your life— that Asgard will not be invaded.”

There was silence for a moment. Laufey had a queer expression on his face. Loki’s brows furrowed together. 

Laufey started laughing. _Hard._ “Oh! My son has a sense of humor!” He smacked Loki with the back of his hand, sending the little god to the ground. The air left Loki, but the giant-king kept taking lung-fulls. 

“I—”

“Why would I imprison my only link to Asgard?” Laufey rumbled, looming over the boy. “You’re soft… taught to be a flower-picking _peace-bringer.”_ He laughed, once more. “You may be my son by blood, Loki, but you’ve been tainted.”

Loki was speechless, grappling for words. “I only wish to—”

Laufey put his foot on Loki’s diaphragm, and his knee on his collarbone. “I’ll let you go back to your palace, without a scratch. But if you truly want your place here, you’ll help me. Won’t you?”

Loki saw an opening. Laufey’s red eyes glittered with madness, but there was an option he could take: The Destroyer could be sent down as a distraction! Thor could come home worthy! He only had to lie a few more times. 

Quickly, he nodded. “Yes…”

Laufey gave a crooked smile. “Good boy. Now, run along home, Loki Laufeyson.”

It chilled Loki to the bone to hear his true name out of the giant-king’s mouth. He groaned when Laufey got off of him, standing just as easily as he had hit the ground. 

“I’ll return,” he lied smoothly. “I’ll prove to you how much I want to be your son.”

_-+Present Time+-_

“I’ll be damned,” Loki said with Strange. The Ancient One moved closer to Loki, specifically. 

“We’ll _all_ be damned because of you!” she shouted, gripping Loki by his lapel. Stephen scrambled back. Loki grunted as the woman slammed him against the wall with a simple spell. 

“Me? Not your former-future student?” Loki croaked. The Ancient One started to make a different sigil with murderous intent.

“Yes, you. Stephen enabled you, yes, but it’s far too late to change _his_ mistake!” she grunted. Stephen, out of the corner of Loki’s eyes, moved his hands with no results. The Sorcerer Supreme bound Loki with orange light.

“I’m afraid I haven’t done anything,” Loki laughed nervously. He swallowed, forcing a tight-lipped smile. He still wasn’t used to being confronted about schemes. He wanted to reach for his dagger, but he couldn’t move a single muscle below his neck. 

“Yes, you have. You should have brought your brother home, Loki Laufeyson.”

“You leave him alone—,” Stephen interjected. 

_“Odinson.”_

“Thor should have been returned to Asgard. His friend, Miss Darcy Lewis, is a threat to everything,” the sorcerer scolded. 

“A threat? Oh, dear. Well, you might as well kill me and lose the timeline.” Loki closed his eyes and nodded with a faux seriousness.

“Do not mock me.”

“Loki isn’t the linchpin,” Stephen told her. He stepped in between the god and the Ancient One. Loki gave a wild look. Strange rolled his eyes. 

“Who is? You?”

“Darcy Lewis. Thor knows; Loki knows; I know; _time knows.”_ The doctor narrowed the space between the sorceress and himself. “You know what time I come from. You know all I have to say to upset the Sanction.”

“Oh, fantastic,” Loki praised. “You really are brilliant.”

Stephen heaved an exasperated sigh. “Shut up; would you?”

The Ancient One pressed her lips into a line, obviously debating on whether to punish the men or let them continue their plan. “I cannot let you continue this,” she tried once more.

“Your meddling caused a wound in time,” Strange said. His fists had little circles dancing around them, as well as his arms. Loki gasped quietly, surprised. Stephen’s knuckles turned white as his feet rose from the ground. “I thought I could fix your mistake, _Sorcerer Supreme.”_

She shook her head and feigned a smile. “What meddling? I protect the timeline with—”

“With the Eye? Or the Dark Arts? You’ve been rewriting the futures of others to fuel your lifespan.” Strange pulled Loki off the wall without even touching him. The lights sizzled out. The air in front of the three of them fractured like glass. Loki threw his hair back, bolting to Stephen.

“Stop—not now. Please,” he pleaded. Stephen looked down, eyes emerald instead of their shifting blue-green. The Eye of Agamotto was shimmering on the Ancient One’s neck. Loki’s throat was closing with anxiety. 

“She’s ruining our lives. All of us!” he said, looking back at the old woman. She was standing calmly despite her guilty expression. 

“But she isn’t the linchpin, Strange,” Loki reminded him. “I knew what was coming just like you did. Thor has no idea what Thanos is capable of, and I would like to keep it that way.”

Just as quickly as everything happened, it disappeared. Strange hit the tiled floor. The Ancient One clasped her hands together. Loki helped Stephen up. 

“How did you know of my sins?” 

Loki gave the Ancient One a cold look. “He was there when you admitted to it, I assume. Now, if you’ll excuse us. My brother and I have to find someone who can fix whatever you’ve done.”

With that, they left. Loki could have cared less for whatever the witch wanted, but he was learning just how much he was caring for this second-rate magician. Calling Stephen his brother felt right after all they had gone through.

Had it really only been a few days?

On the way to the break room, Stephen grunted, “Um. Thanks. I didn’t expect to be so drained from that.”

“You didn’t expect it at all, did you?”

“No.” Strange looked away. “Before you pull that again: we are _not_ brothers.”

“Maybe not. But I have a feeling that we could be.” Loki sat Stephen in a chair. “Don’t thank me again.”

* * *

Darcy found that Thor was an absolute gentleman while they talked by the fire—she said so herself. That warmed the prince’s heart. Jane was fidgety and awkward, but was being kind. He didn’t pull Darcy any farther onto him than her knees over his thighs in a criss-cross manner. His forearm was where her back was. In the oddest way, it was nothing but friendly. (Thor hadn’t really been close to too many women; he was a prince before he was a man in the palace.)

“Jane says you’re both students of science,” he said to the girl in his arms. He searched both Jane and Darcy’s faces. “Have either of you heard anything about the Nine Realms?”

“I’ve heard what you told me about Asgard, but not much else,” Darcy replied. “What does that have anything to do with science?”

“The realms are stars in the sky from here, princess.” Thor moved them so they could view the sky better. He pointed up to a small blue star. “That’s Jotunheim.”

“Jotunheim?” Jane asked. Darcy was patiently listening. Thor cleared his throat.

“My brother, Loki, is a frost giant. He was adopted. They’re Asgard’s second-greatest enemies.”

Darcy nodded. “You have a brother? Cool. So you’re a starfaring race and you still can adopt.”

“Yes. No. Well, sort of,” Thor told the girls. “We don’t usually travel between realms through the stars like other kingdoms. We use a Bi-Frost. Your Dr. Selvig knows it as the rainbow bridge connecting the realms together.”

“Is it a rainbow bridge?”

“It’s colorful,” Thor answered. “All of the Nine Realms lie on the World Tree, Yggdrasil.” 

Darcy laid her head on his shoulder. Her blue eyes glimmered in the firelight. “Yggdrasil. Could you draw that? I do better visually; maps, people, that sort of thing.”

By the Norns, Thor was going mad just by letting her speak. He nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”

Darcy grabbed some spare paper and handed it to Thor. She pulled a pen out of her pants pocket. “Show me this World Tree, Muscles.”

“I would do anything for you,” he answered honestly, taking the pen and paper. He explained Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, and the other realms to Jane and Darcy.

Jane’s eyes were glued to Thor, but Darcy’s eyes followed the paper. Thor had a small epiphany while he was teaching: Jane, no matter how nice she was, never truly loved him. She didn’t bond with him like Darcy had tried to. He didn’t blame her. He had done the same thing for the longest time.

Had he ever loved her?

He didn’t know. 

He had never been truly in love with anyone like he thought he loved Jane. He hadn’t ever wanted to keep someone safe like that. To protect one person above all others had been a strange experience to him. Peering into his past, Thor was sure if he had been let in— _truly_ let in—he could have married Jane.

Something stopped the two of them from colliding. 

“Hey, Thor?” Jane asked. He turned his attention to her. 

“Yes?”

“Why are you here and not on Asgard?”

Thor smiled gently. “I’m here to protect Asgard and Midgard. My brother will bring me home when it’s time.” He looked to Darcy. “In the meantime… I can help you with your research.” 

“Thanks, but cuddling Darcy isn’t exactly helping me.” Jane was smiling, but her tone was laced with judgement. Thor felt a jab to his heart.

“Why can’t I?” he questioned. Darcy looked away, embarrassed. Thor felt a great beast rise up in his chest. “We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Your P.D.A.?”

“It’s purely friendly. If I wanted to disrespect you or Darcy, I would have done it.” Thor’s chest puffed out in defense. “Beside the point, the time is so late. Let your intern have a break; you aren’t paying her.”

Darcy winced and Thor held his tongue. He would never have said something so nasty before. What happened to him?

“Excuse me?” Jane asked with a gasp.

“Jane, I’m so sorry—”

Thor was faster with his answer. “Forgive me, but I do not appreciate your criticisms if they involve both Darcy and I. Not unless she’s in harm’s way.”

Jane closed her mouth. “I’m sorry, too. I was rude first.” She wiped her face. “Maybe I just don’t like to share my friends. I don’t know. I’m sorry. You’ve been kind to us after I hit you with my car, and you continued to want to help us. You even freaking brought my notebook back.”

“Jane, Thor is just as grateful to you,” Darcy said after taking one glance at Thor’s frown. “But seriously. He was just trying to stick up for me; I’m glad you’re worrying for me, too.”

“Darcy?” Jane asked with a deadpan face. 

Darcy sat stiffly in Thor’s arms. “Yeah, Jane?” 

“What happens when Thor leaves you?” 

Darcy ducked her head, shoulders slumping. “Yeah. Yeah, good point. Thanks for reminding me of how no one wants me, Jane. Also, thanks for reminding me of that time you convinced my boyfriend I was w bimbo so he ran away.”

“Darcy, I didn’t mean to—”

“I will leave back to Asgard,” Thor said.

“What?”

“I will leave for Asgard, but I won’t abandon you.” The fire crackled through their silence. “I don’t know when I could be back for you—either of you.” Jane sat up in the corner of Thor’s eye. He didn’t care. “But Darcy, my wise princess…”

“Yes?” She picked her eyes up slowly.

“I will come back before 2013.” He brushed her cheek. “I wouldn’t waste your time like this if you weren’t something I wanted.”

She set a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll miss you, Thor. You better take me on a proper date when you come back, got it?”

With a grin, he answered, “Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

“Run a background check on her; the young one.”

“Sir?”

“Just do it,” Coulson ordered. He looked through the transmitter’s camera with thoughtful eyes. He wouldn’t consider himself a calculative man, but there was something about the girl who was on base that night. She seemed like part of an equation— _his_ equation, _Earth’s_ equation.

She was far too important to let slip through S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fingers. 

“We have a name, sir,” the agent next to him said. Coulson turned.

“Well?”

“Darcy Lewis, age twenty-seven,” the agent continued. He scrolled through the computer page, leaning in closer. “She’s an unpaid intern under Dr. Jane Foster, studying political science.”

“Seems regular enough. Does she have any hobbies?”

“Um… in her own words, quote, ‘I enjoy long walks on the beach, listening to music, and watching _My Little Pony_. Actually, I hate the beach but I do like chess.’” The agent looked up at Coulson with a frightened face. Coulson smirked.

“Go deeper. I want to know the exact time she was born, her favorite color, her Facebook and Myspace, and every guy she’s ever dated.” Coulson brushed his suit off. “She’d make a fine agent; don’t you think, Ryan?”

Ryan gulped. “Yes, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again:
> 
> If you have any questions, please ask me at my Tumblr for BA: https://thor-and-mjolnir.tumblr.com


	11. Chapter X: Set in Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New discoveries are changing everything.

Thor watched the girls sleep through the cold desert night.

He studied the stars once, when he was very, very small; he had found a strange beauty to them. The way they twinkled veiled the stars in mystery, the maps of the realms stirred his core. Thor would never call himself an adventurer or a hero. When he was younger? Sure. Now? He didn’t feel obligated to be a king, but he didn’t feel safe not knowing the universe he had grown to love so much could fall to ruin. A tug in his gut always told him that being in touch with others was his destiny. 

Darcy’s abdomen rose and fell in a hypnotic manner. She slept with her mouth slightly open, face pressed against whatever she could put it on. He felt a miniature fire start inside his belly. Her hair was a mess. Her makeup was smudged. Her glasses were skewed off of her face and her body was scrunched up in a fetal position. 

He didn’t feel anywhere near obligated to do anything to or for Darcy Lewis. He would die before he let her go. 

Just like the stars, just like the universe, Darcy was a sharp tug in his gut. 

Thor tucked his fists under his chin as he kept watch. He had no weapon to protect his girls. He needed Mjölnir, or some kind of practice with his lightning. 

“So that’s my sister in law,” Loki said behind him. Thor looked back to see Loki’s form… just off. He stepped forward with his left instead of his right, for starters. “Darcy seems rather… What is the word?” He scratched his hands and exhaled. “Golden? Innocent?”

“Brave,” Thor filled in. He looked back at the intern, who stirred enough to move up in her chair. She was like a dream: gentle, captivating. He could stare at her all the time. “I could marry her; you could be Captain of the Guard.”

Loki laughed in disbelief, stretching his neck as he shot the former a face of disdain… with something behind it. Thor couldn’t place the hidden guise, and doubted Loki even knew about it. That was his tell, after all. “That’s Father’s rule, isn’t it? The second in line being the Captain? Lady Sif is leading the Guard. Why would I replace her?”

Thor shrugged apologetically. “As long as Father lives, he’ll only allow for one king. I would gladly share the throne with you; you know our powers are just as strong as Father’s when they’re combined.” He picked his head up off his hands. His lip curled. “Why do you worry about the lady’s position, anyway? You weren’t fond of her when we were children.”

“She’s excellent at her job. She’s frightening, bold, vigorous, rational—er,  _ mostly… _ Why do you ask? You know it doesn’t matter,” Loki prattled on. Thor was tempted to laugh. He started swaying back and forth as he talked, quickly changing the subject.“With some serious convincing, we could both be king. I’m a negotiator—you’re a strategist. I do budget cuts and you draw out the fundings. Just like we were taught.”

“Where are you? You seem nervous,” Thor teased. 

Loki groaned, slouching. “I just knocked Stephen out so he could sleep about ten minutes ago. I’m going back home in half an hour. I need to figure out a reason to send the Destroyer down. Oh!” Loki snapped his fingers, stepping closer to Thor. “You have to trust the Destroyer to be dangerous; I won’t be controlling it until you’re safe on Asgard. It’ll be different than the last time.”

Thor lifted his eyebrows. “Different than the last time?”

Loki made a face like he felt something other than his tongue move in his mouth. “I, ah… yes. Yes, very different.” He stifled a cough. “I’m not sure I could manage to fake  _ that _ much animosity.” Thor pursed his lips and squinted. His brother’s eyes darted about. 

“Don’t betray me, this time,” The elder warned. 

“I—”

“Thor, who are you talking to?”

Thor jumped. Loki’s image dissipated as quickly as it had materialized. Thor had set his eyes on Darcy within the second, however, unbothered by Loki’s illusion fading away without finishing their conversation. She rubbed her eyes and sat up with a tiny groan. 

“Uhh.” He checked behind his back to make sure Loki was truly gone. “No one. No one, princess.” Thor stood and moved over to Darcy in one quick stride. She made grabby hands at him, to which he obliged and lifted her up. Darcy, with her jacket in her right fist, tucked her legs and arms around the god. He back sat down in his chair once she was secure. 

“You’re not a very good liar, Sparkles,” Darcy yawned, burying her face in his scruff, “but we can work on whatever it is you’re hiding, later.” 

“I’m not hiding anything for long,” Thor whispered. He took her glasses off, slipping them into his shirt pocket. He pressed her to his heart, which was slowly getting louder without picking up speed. He felt it in his neck. 

“I understand,” she murmured. “At least, I sorta do. I had a nightmare before I heard you talking.”

Rubbing her back, he asked, “What was it about?”

“Everyone I loved just turned into dust… it was a long time before I saw you, again…” She sniffed and held him tighter as she shook. She tangled her hands in his golden hair. “There was also this really freaking weird glowing cube that took everyone away to a red cloud.” 

“You dreamt all that? Oh, princess, I’m sorry,” Thor told her quietly. Darcy dreamt of the Aether and the Tesseract. What was he going to tell Strange? Or his father? “I’m going to try my hardest to keep all those nightmares at bay until you wake. I’ll be the mightiest warrior.” He kept running his hand up and down her warm back, once in a while feeling small static currents. 

“You don’t need to be the mightiest,” Darcy said before she fell back asleep. “Just mine.” She breathed out a final sigh through her soft, pink lips, closing her blue eyes. 

Thor looked high into the sky, seeing the Bi-Frost open up in a stream of colorful light across the city. His brother was going back to Asgard. His fear swelled as he watched. “You better know what you’re doing, Loki,” he prayed. “Because by the Allfathers, I don’t.”

* * *

_ “Give it up,” a voice hissed. It kept playing in his ears while he tried to focus. “Give it up, little magician.” _

_ There was a sharp pain to the side of his head. He couldn’t move at all, he could only keep from screaming. He had no recollection of getting kidnapped, no inkling at all of how he had gotten the stone so soon. Everything was in danger, everything was at stake, everything was going to be ruined— _

“Get up, Stephen.”

The voice shook him awake—that, and some very small but strong hands. He gasped, body seizing and pulling itself up. His lids flew open, the darkness of the breakroom a blessing to his eyes. He looked to see Christine Palmer’s lovely face, tight-lipped and knit-browed. 

Strange didn’t smile, although he was greatly relieved. “You…”

“You were having a nightmare,” she said gently, a firm hand on his shoulder. Her hair was back in a ponytail, but was long enough to still sit on one of her shoulders. “I came into the breakroom and I found you sweating like a dog.”

“Thank you,” Strange said quickly, wiping his face. “Christine, right?”

“Yeah. It’s two in the morning. Are you still on call?”

“No,” he answered. “But I do have to be somewhere soon. Thank you for waking me up.” He stood carefully with a spinning head. 

“Maybe I’ll see you, again?” Christine gave a small smile.

“Maybe you will.” He gave a tiny smile back. “I hope so. But I really have to go.”

Christine wrinkled her nose, uncapping a marker and writing a number on his upper arm quickly. “Right, right, go. I’ll ask for a  _ Doctor Stephen Strange _ back in New York.”

“Uh, do that.” Stephen scrawled out his phone number on her arm, too, which he hadn’t realized he had taken a hold of. He gave her the marker back. She put it in her pocket. “Or call me in about a week.”

“Good. Okay. Ah. Run off, Dr. Strange.” 

He nodded and sped off. His legs brushed together; his arms went high in the air; his body ached from being used for so long. The last time, he had gone home and met Christine in New York. He had to tell Thor about one of the stones. They were in trouble— _ it  _ was in trouble.

Thor and Darcy would have to be told everything about the dream. Darcy would have to be told everything about the stones. Eventually, so would Fury and Coulson. Stephen had yet to meet them in both timelines, but now he saw he had little choice. 

“This seemed easier before I sent us back here,” he told himself, pushing out of the hospital and dashing to his car. Stephen put his seatbelt on, pulling on the flat, weaved rope until it locked and held him securely. He looked at the key in his hand. 

With a small exhale, he put it into ignition. He pressed his foot down on the brake, held his breath, and turned the key. He yelped when the engine purred and roared to life. “Fff—What is  _ wrong  _ with me!” he shouted at the car, at himself. “I’m a big man! A car isn’t going to get the better of me.”

Stephen pulled the lever on the automatic to reverse, going as slow as he could. He stopped the car, looking at the inside of his vehicle. “How do I turn the lights on, again?” He felt silly, but technically, he hadn’t driven a car in almost three years. He hadn’t thought about any of it at all. He didn’t want to.

He quickly relocated the knob for it, then continued through the city. He was sure he could drive normally on good sleep and without his ever-growing sense of dread. It was nothing.

He was sure…

* * *

“You’re not content with being the next Captain of the Guard?” Frigga asked her son. Her hands were linked with Odin’s, but everything else about her body was facing the younger son. She worried too much for Loki’s taste in the past, but ever since he had been told the truth about his parentage, he appreciated it greatly. Her hair matched the warm glow of everything else in the room.

Loki shook his head, staying quiet by his father’s bedside. He focused on Odin’s slow breathing instead of Frigga’s detective gaze, hoping to have some kind of suspicion off of himself. He didn’t want to give anything away about Thor or their plans to her. Not yet. “I’m not, no.”

“You could at least tell me why—well, beyond the fact that you want the throne, too.” Her tone revealed her tiny, sad attempt at humor. “Are you scared of battle?”

“You’re going to think it’s foolish,” he said in a hushed tone. He pulled his hand from Odin’s warm, stiff fingers, reaching to hold Frigga’s. “Just because nighttime schemes are  _ my _ domain, rather than daytime wars, it doesn’t mean that I’ll be a good Captain.”

“That isn’t your reason for your fear, though,” the queen continued for him. He hesitated but nodded. 

“It’s Lady Sif,” he admitted. He chewed his lip. “She’s worked very hard to get where she is. I don’t want to take that from her. I haven’t…” Loki trailed off, looking for the right words. “I haven’t been very fair to her. Ever.”

“So you feel sorry for the lady?” Frigga asked. She frowned and cocked her head. 

“I just think I can do better than a step down and she deserves a step up,” the prince said honestly. He peeked at his mother. “I’m not going to rip the mat from under her feet. I’m a bigger man than that.”

Out of the blue, Frigga smiled. “I give you my blessings, then.”

Loki stopped breathing. He didn’t mean it that way. “You—You do?”

“Of course, my son! I don’t see why not.” Frigga’s smile only got wider. “She’ll make a fine one. Oh, I’ve always wanted you to like her; I’m quite fond of Sif, you know.”

“B-but I’m not—Mother, I didn’t mean—,” the young prince tried, tripping on his own words.

“You might not have meant it in your brain, my son, but perhaps you should listen to your gut. Ask the lady, explain your terms to her.” Frigga winked. 

Loki wrestled with his tongue to answer. Propose a political alliance? A political bond like  _ that? _ Loki never saw any of these options as things he could actually pick in his future. Who would want him? “I’m going to need to talk to her first, Mother. Don’t start hoping for things.”

“I’m sure she’ll be delighted once you explain the circumstances,” Frigga told him. “If I was her, it would be nothing but a gift. If she wanted to change things up, it would be easy. It wouldn’t be romantic—”

“Mother, I don’t want to talk about that. I’m not having this conversation. Not yet,” he said sternly. He stood up, fixing his helmet and dusting off his lapel. “I have to go.”

“Go? So soon? The court understands your father’s condition.” 

“I have to speak to Heimdall about something,” he answered. “Goodbye, Mother. I’ll return.” He nodded to Frigga and then left. His heart weighed in its cage, hesitant about what his mother had decided he was going to do.

What  _ he _ had agreed to do.

Loki needed a plan for Jotunheim before he could ask for Sif’s hand. Laufey had to be dealt with. Thor needed to come home. Heimdall needed to be tipped off. 

Nighttime schemes definitely were his domain, but he felt like his night was becoming darker than he could handle. He had no light. He was lost. 

He walked down the palace corridors, trying to think of a plan but imagining up with nothing. He wasn’t a war master. He was, for the first time in his life, coming up short. His brain was dry! He was panicking worse than ever before.

If he killed Laufey before he tried to kill Odin, he started a war and kept Thor out of Asgard. Too many things changed in that scenario. If he let Laufey kill Odin, his treason would be evident. Thor never found out about his conspiracy with the giant-king. Would things end up the same if he left it alone? What if he formed an army and set up defenses?

What would Sif think of him?

_ That’s a foolish question,  _ he told himself, stopping and shaking his head vigorously. He was losing his mind! Oh, Loki never considered himself an oaf, but he was edging very close in this moment.  _ Especially since you never cared what Sif thought of you. _

“I have to tell Heimdall,” he quietly answered himself. He removed his helmet, looking at his reflection through the forehead. Frightened. He was a coward at the end of the day, wasn’t he? Too scared to do what mattered. 

He had to fight Heimdall to do this; to fix mistakes he made in 2011 before 2012 caught up with him. Just because Heimdall had refused him the last time in the Himinbjörg didn’t mean that he could refuse Loki everything.

Right?

“You have to tell Heimdall what?” 

Loki spun around, paling as white as the silver of Lady Sif’s armor. “You know, you are the second woman  _ today _ to do that to me.”

Sif tossed her dark hair over her shoulder as she stalked closer to him. She grabbed fistfulls of Loki’s collar and tugged him to the ground as hard as she could. His head hit the floor, and his eyes shook. 

A quick, hot ache spread through his skull. Sif put her knee on his chest. Loki cried out. “Ah!”

“You’re up to something, Loki, do not think I didn’t notice!” She pushed a knife to Loki’s larynx. He was afraid to move. His everything hurt. “Why can’t Thor come home? Why are you sneaking away? What must Heimdall know that I can’t?”

He gently pried the knife off of his throat, rolling and straddling the lady knight. He pointed the tip of the blade to the dip in her collarbone, holding the handle with his left hand and the spine with his right like a scalpel. “I really must urge you to stay out of this, my dear. You could end up chipping a nail.”

“You and your bloody insults!” she shouted. “You never grow up.”

“Oh, on the contrary,” he laughed. “I’m attempting to prevent the worst war Asgard has ever seen. Given that I’m going to be Captain of the Guard when Thor takes over as Allfather, I better get used to thwarting instead of playing around.”

Sif’s eyes bugged. “You’re going to  _ what?” _

“You heard me. If you think it’s a lie, just ask my mother after I leave.”

“For once, I believe it,” the lady breathed. She pushed the knife off, this time keeping it to herself instead of attacking him.

“Are you going to come with me, my lady?”

“Do I have a choice?” she replied. “Of course. We go do whatever you’re planning to do, and then we go to Midgard. The Warriors Three can fend for themselves for a night or two, yes?”

Loki looked at the lady with a crazed smile. “You think like I do.”

Sif rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. The metal against metal made a soft  _ clink  _ as she made herself comfortable. “Don’t make jokes, Loki—this isn’t the time.”

“Don’t nag me like a wife and I won’t,” he said plainly. He shrugged his shoulders and started walking to the exit of the palace. “By the way: I have a few things to tell you if we make it out alive.”

“You mean more than you already do?”

He nodded, but stopped. “I have a proposal for you, first. You know the law; whoever is the most powerful heir gets the throne. I think we both have something to gain by my proposition.”

Sif stopped, locking eyes with him. Her dark brown irises were hard enough to see in the palace torchlight, especially during the night, but she narrowed her eyes to make things worse. The frost giant could see the gears and cogs working in her head. “A proposal?”

Loki’s heart made a nervous leap. He grabbed her hand, going down on one knee. Her expression tightened. His heart moved faster than a speeding bullet. “Yes. Lady Sif, would you marry me?”

* * *

“Thor! Thor, wake up,” Darcy whispered frantically. She grabbed her glasses and shoved them back on her face, searching around in the desert night for some kind of sign of movement. Dawn was approaching steadfastly, but their surroundings were pitch black. The fire must have gone out hours ago. 

“Darcy, is everything alright?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. He sat up with her. “What’s wrong?”

“Plenty!” she hissed. “I heard something, Thor.” She got off of him, turning in a few circles to catch what she had seen from the corner of her eye. A person? A vehicle? She wasn’t sure herself. 

“Try to stay calm, princess,” he told her. Thor got up and pulled Darcy’s jacket over her shoulders. She sighed, relishing the warmth. Thor had been like a radiator while she slept, but now that there was some space between them, she hadn’t realized how cold she was now. 

“Thank you,” she told him quietly. “Jane’s still sleeping.” 

“She needs it, right?”

Darcy nodded. “Yeah.” She kept looking around. She felt like they were being studied intently. Like they were under a microscope. “Hey, Thor?”

“Yes?” He looked where she looked. She could see his confusion and worry in his eyes. 

“Do your powers include sensing people?”

“No; do you think someone is here?” He held her hand gently. She was grateful for his somewhat understanding. Every boyfriend she had ever had or tried to have just laughed at her or called her weird.

“It’s hard to say. I feel like we’re being watched.” She looked at his face and emotion.

It helped her none when all of Thor’s features fell. Literally just… slumped. “That’s because we are.”

Darcy turned, her jaw slacking. Two smartly dressed agents were heading toward her and Thor, dressed up like the  _ Men in Black. _

“Oh, crud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sorry. 
> 
> If you have any questions, wonder about any updates for BA, my Tumblr is https://thor-and-mjolnir.tumblr.com


	12. Chapter XI: Chugging Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little shorter, I had a lot going on ):

“Lady Sif, will you marry me?” Loki asked. The sound was foreign to his ears, alien to his mouth—he didn’t register his lips moving. 

Many thoughts were going through his head as he waited for an answer. Many of them couldn’t be formed into real words—they were just terrified feelings. The most he could do was wait for the lady’s answer.

She held her breath for a moment, then sighed. “This isn’t romantic?”

“It’s not. It’s nothing but a political alliance, my lady,” he said. “I’ve given this some thought.” Absolutely no thought had been used. “What do you say?”

Sif brushed her thumb under her nose, wiping her hands on her pants. “Will this really help me keep my position in the army?”

“You’ll be queen,” Loki said. “I’ll have a wife and an advantage to the throne. You’ll have the ability to prove your strength and protect Asgard.”

“Marrying into something never seemed very…  _ independent _ to me.” Sif crossed her arms. “If I say yes to this, do I really secure my place in the army?”

“You’ll strengthen it by a thousand times,” Loki swore. “We’ll never tell a soul it was for your rise to the top, Lady Sif, as long as you never tell a soul I couldn’t get the throne myself.”

Sif tried to hide her smile, but failed. “You are quite charming when you need to be, I will give you that. Alright. Prince Loki of Asgard—I  _ cannot _ believe I’m saying this—I’ll marry you.”

Loki stood, offering his arm. She took it. “Then off to Jotunheim we go. I have some things to explain to you, but you must trust me. Do I have a quarrel with you?”

“I did try to slap you—,” Sif began, scowling. Loki cut her off with a finger to her lips.

“You were angry. My lady, I am not the same man you knew a fortnight ago.” He stopped walking and just stared into her soul. “I’m asking for you to trust me. If I betray that trust, please skewer me through with a flaming spear.”

Sif stared back with the highest intensity. By the Norns, he could get lost in her eyes: it was a galaxy of untold secrecy. “If you betray my trust, Loki, I’m becoming queen and  _ then _ I’m killing you.” Her visibly-soft lips pursed for a moment. “Most likely it’ll be worse than your example.”

He forced down a mouthful of saliva. “I’m glad we’re on the same page, Lady Sif.”

* * *

The two agents coming their way terrified Thor down to his core. Not for his sake, of course. He set a hand on Darcy’s waist, holding her protectively. Coulson was on the right, and someone else he didn’t recognize on the right. 

The man on the right had somewhat darker skin, a buzzed haircut, and a pair of scars over his left eye. As he got closer, there was a visible Star of David pinned over his suit pocket. 

“Darcy,” Thor whispered. “It’s S.H.I.E.L.D.’s top agents.” 

In the corner of his eye, watched her nod. He turned his head. She had a certain determination in her eyes. “Yeah. I recognized Baldy from the base.” She slipped her jacket on and pulled it tight.

“He isn’t bald,” Thor said softly.

“He’s bald _ ing,”  _ Darcy replied simply. She shrugged. Thor supposed it was valid.

“Ms. Lewis?” Coulson asked. 

He and his friend stopped about twenty feet away from Thor and Darcy. They were stiff-backed, the desert dust blowing around their former footprints. Dawn was coming, although it was moving as slow as old tree sap. The light was enough no matter.

“Yes?” she asked, stepping in front of Thor. He let her take the floor. 

“My name is Phillip J. Coulson, but you can call me Phil,” he said, extending his arm for a handshake. She shook his hand. “I take it you and Big Mac, here, aren’t actually married?”

Thor paused, frowning. “What?”

“We are married,” Darcy said cooly, grabbing Thor by the hand. “At least, someday we will be. We’re engaged.”

Thor felt boggled from confusion. Wait. Worse than boggled: he felt shaken with confusion. “Darcy, why are you—?”

“Because,” she said, giving him a stern look.

Phil continued, ignoring the banter. Thor wished he didn’t, yet at the same time he was grateful for it. “This is my associate, Agent Theodore Ryan; he assigns new agents to our most important cases.”

“Why do we need to know this?” Thor asked. 

“Ditto,” Darcy asked, rolling her eyes. “I’m a political science major.”

“You’re a diplomat in the making,” Coulson said with a smirk. Thor’s soul clicked the pieces together for him.  _ Darcy would be a good ambassador. _ Phil stepped closer and clapped his hands together, ducking his head and staring the two down—not just Darcy. “Mr. Stark might enjoy working with you, as you would make the job so much easier for him.”

“I’m not interested,” she told him. “I have school to finish. I’m not a graduate, yet. Besides, you’re kinda shifty.”

“Consider taking the job, Miss Lewis,” Coulson said quietly. He and Agent Ryan nodded once in sync. “We’ll have tabs on you for a while in case you change your mind.”

“Yeah, okay.  _ That  _ makes me feel safe.” 

“Hey. Hey, hey, watch it.” Thor stepped next to Darcy. He shoved his hands down his pockets, looking back and forth between all three of them. “Leave her be. She can come to you anytime she wishes, alright?”

“Oh, we know, ‘Mr. Reynolds’.”

Darcy crossed her arms. “I don’t appreciate you making fun of him. Contact me again in 2012.” She turned to Thor. “That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Yes, princess.”

“2012. That’s when you can ask me. Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “My boss, Jane, she’s perfect for you S.H.I.E.L.D. people. She’s a scientist. Astronomy.”

“We have plenty of scientists. We don’t have enough people like you, Darcy Lewis. You could really change the world.” 

Darcy laughed, but it lacked humor. She bent her knees and swayed forward. Thor caught her when she wobbled. “That’s about as realistic as Wakanda becoming a world power in a night. But you probably know that, so.” She shrugged in Thor’s arms as if she made a point. Thor had no idea what this Wakanda was, nor did he particularly wish to find out. 

Phil was quiet for a while, quite taken with this Wakanda point that Thor had yet to understand. “We’ll contact you in 2012, as you asked,” he said, finally. A truly softened reaction came with his farewell: “Goodbye, Miss Lewis. Friend.” He smiled and turned, leaving with Theodore Ryan as suddenly as they appeared.

That, of all moments, was when Jane awoke. “Um. Should I ask?”

“Not yet,” they both chimed, but Darcy continued with, “but I may get a job next year. Maybe.”

Jane laughed a little, then frowned. “Guys? Look behind you…”

A car horn blared loudly into the morning, screeching tires against the sand like the driver suddenly remembered brakes existed. Thor chewed the inside of his cheek, moving towards the car with folded arms. Did someone get lost? After a few more awkward brakings, gas pedaling, and lights turning on and off, the engine died. Thor went up to the window. 

“You came at the perfect time.”

* * *

When Thor came to the window, Stephen was relieved. He felt like he had accomplished something heroic by being behind the wheel, but something exhaustingly heroic. Thor had saved  _ him _ that time. It was  _ his  _ perfect timing. 

“Oh, yeah? I hope I did, I am NOT driving again for a while!” His voice sounded tremorous from his mouth. He cursed at himself silently for it. “Who were those guys?”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to recruit Darcy,” Thor answered. “My Darcy. A diplomat.” Stephen saw a smile under the god’s blond beard. The plan was working. “Do you need help out?”

Stephen opened the door to his car, fumbling with the buckle and seatbelt a ridiculous amount. Finally, he got free and took the keys with him. “No. No, I don’t. See? I got out.”

“No dip, Sherlock,” Darcy said, coming up behind Thor. “You really shouldn’t be driving if you panic every time.”

“I—I don’t panic every time.” Stephen rubbed under his nose. “Now, this is important. We  _ really  _ need to talk about something—it could change everything.”

Thor shifted. “Talk about what?”

“I had a dream about the Infinity Stones, Thor. Time is setting itself into motion; we have to remember why we’re here.”

“You had a dream about the Infinity Stones,” Thor repeated. His face was unreadable. Stephen squared his shoulders.

“The Time Stone. Some weird Squidward-looking guy,” he further explained. “I know it’s crazy, but it felt so real. What if it isn’t just a dream?”

To Stephen’s surprise, Thor answered, “You’re right. What if it isn’t? What if it’s something more? Much more?”


	13. Chapter XII: Broken Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehhehehe the pieces are falling together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long! 😫

“You are a  _ terrible  _ man!” Sif shouted as they came back from Jotunheim. Her hair was decorated with snow and frost, her cheeks a gorgeous flush of pink. Her breathing was erratic. “Oh, I take it all back! All of it! Every good thought!”

“You can’t take the engagement back,” Loki told her, collapsing against the wall with blood rushing through his entire body. “You already made the deal. Besides, I’m not the same man you knew before; I explained this to you on the way to the frost giants.”

“You did explain, but forgive me if I’m skeptical,” Sif hissed, locking eyes with the prince. “Being from the future? That’s wild, even for you. You can’t prove it.”

Loki wheezed out a laugh. He sank down to his bottom, bringing his knees to his chest. He set a knife with blue fluid on the floor carelessly. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right; I can’t prove it. Just trust me, Sif.”

“Trusting you is turning me into a traitor,” she said, tossing her hair over her head and flattening her palms over her noggin for a moment. The moment was briefer than a blink, now moving again. She unlaced her boots and removed her gauntlets and clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. “I cannot believe that I’m going to  _ marry _ you.”

“Oh, my sweetest darling, you say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Loki teased, brushing her cheek to irritate her. Sif caught his hand and threw it off.

“I will not put up with that nonsense.” She shot daggers toward him.

Loki chuckled. He lifted an amused brow. Sif crossed her arms. “Nonsense? I believe that we should keep up some appearances for your reputation, shouldn’t we?”

Sif reluctantly let loose a smile. “I’m quickly growing to resent you. Especially when you’re right.”

“Resent me? Oh, sweetness,” he laughed. “I am always right.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Sif stood up, brushing snow off of her pants. “We have Laufey coming to kill your father! How do we fix that?”

“My darling, we have to kill Laufey. It is a simple solution,” he said slowly. He caught her hand, looking at the bare ring finger she needed to decorate. “You aren’t murdering me, yet, so I assume you somewhat believe me.” Loki combed his fingers through his short hair, unused to the sudden lack of fibers in his hands. “What do we do about an engagement ring? Would that affect your fighting? Shall I propose to you officially?”

“A small band would be fine,” she said. “No stone.” She took her hand away, tucking it under her arm. “Propose officially and I’ll flay you.”

Flay him. Oh, dear. He would just have to tell his mother about his fiancée privately. “Alright. I have an idea, so follow me.” Loki got up and started down to the relic room.

“It better be a  _ good  _ idea,” Sif mumbled, trailing behind him. 

“When have I ever had terrible ideas?” Loki scoffed. Sif screamed in frustration behind him. He smirked to himself; he loved how easy it was to ruffle her feathers. 

“You always have bad ideas!” There was a yelp and Loki felt his shoulders get tugged back. “Would you slow down? I can’t keep up when your cape trips me from all angles!” 

He turned, puffing his cheeks out. The lady had flushed cheeks and a barely-moving chest, tense and staring him down. The prince offered his hand. 

“Well?”

Sif sighed, taking his hand. “You know what I would call you, Prince Loki?”

Loki latched their fingers together. Sif didn’t object, just followed down the dank hallway with him. “You aren’t very supportive, my nightingale.”

Sif rolled her eyes. “I’ll be supportive from the wedding day forward. How about that?”

* * *

Fandral stopped the other two men just around the corner, watching the lady knight and the prince regent leave together. Their bickering, the talk of a  _ wedding… _ “Did you see that?”

“We saw,” Hogun whispered. His eyes had popped—a reasonable reaction to the pairing. “Loki and Sif, together. It’s the work of Surtr.” 

Volstagg could have been scraping his beard on the floor. “Why, of all men? Why would she choose Loki?”

“It is quite ghastly,” Fandral agreed. Setting his hand under his chin, he tilted his head in contemplation. “Perhaps she’s under a spell. Either way, she’s strong enough to fight it for a little while.” He frowned as he kept thinking. “Does this mean we tell Thor ourselves, men?”

There was no mistaking the knowing, almost telepathic look of agreement.

“It must. It would only take a little while, long enough for us to come back and see if Sif really does need help with breaking free of an enchantment,” the tallest of the Warriors Three reasoned. “And if the Lady really is intent on marrying Loki, Thor’s opinion will be a mighty weapon.” All men smiled at each other proudly. The lady had saved them so many times, now was their chance to save her.

Loki wouldn’t keep them from bringing their brother in arms back home. Loki wouldn’t keep Sif in a controlled state.

Fandral rubbed his hands together. “We’re in agreement, then: bring back Thor and free Sif.”

They went down to the Bi-Frost, careful not to run into the Queen, the Prince or anyone else of similar importance. Volstagg’s stomping gait shook the bridge, Hogun’s swinging arms hit the other two men on multiple occasions, and Fandral’s nervous humming did nothing to help with the already-tense air of what they were about to do. 

Heimdall stopped them. “You think that you can fool me?”

“Fool you? No,” Fandral scoffed. “We wanted to let the happy couple plan their wedding. Let us tell Thor his brother is getting married!”

Heimdall narrowed his eyes. “I pray that you consider yourselves lucky that I can see through your guises. But because that is your only request—” He shrugged his shoulders to signify his answer was given, then brought the three men to the Bi-Frost. “I won’t send you.”

“What?” Volstagg yelled. “But you—!”

Heimdall dropped his sword.  _ “Oops.” _

The men grinned broadly, taking the sword and bringing it up to the gate opening. “Don’t mind if we do.”

Within a flash, they were on their way to Midgard. 

* * *

Laufey sat in the dank, dark throne room in deep, heavy thought. His son, the traitor. His son, the trickster. Loki was  _ different. _ He didn’t want to underestimate him, but he didn’t want to be made a fool of. He had to make his move carefully.

Loki had  _ said _ he would help him, hadn’t he? He had  _ said _ it, but what use was the word of a man you didn’t know, much less your enemy? The words may have been genuine, but what was the guarantee? What did Loki love more than Asgard? What could he use against his son to ensure the victory of Jotunheim?

Loki brought a woman into Jotunheim last time. What was her name? Sik? Syth? The way he looked at her relayed so much affection, more than a man should give a simple companion.

_ “This is my friend, Lady Sif, who wishes to help us, Laufey,”  _ Loki had said boldly. He held onto the woman’s wrist tightly. She stood by his side like a supportive wife who wanted to help but didn’t know how. 

That was it.

Laufey sat up with a wicked grin. “My brethren,” he called out, standing in the small light in the vacant walls of the cold palace, “we invade Asgard, tonight. Either kill my son… or kill his girl.”

*+*+*

After Stephen got out of his car, he was pretty shaken up. The experience was tiring and he was pretty hungry, but he still felt the tremors in his hands. 

“Thank you for letting me stay for breakfast,” Stephen said, mustering the best smile he could. Thor had an arm over his shoulders in a tight hug, trying to give the doctor some comfort. Jane was brushing her hair out on the couch and Darcy was on the other side of Thor. 

Stephen looked back at the thunder god and the girl. Thor could see how uncomfortable he was, even at Thor’s own touch. Slowly, he removed his arm and muttered an apology.

“It’s fine; I don’t like constant touching,” he whispered. “But I… appreciate the thought.” 

They walked into the Smith building’s inside and out of the foyer. Stephen suddenly stopped. “For the life of me what is her last name,” he said. It was barely audible.

Darcy went to his rescue. “Jane Foster. That’s Erik Selvig,” she said back just as quietly.

Stephen nodded, clearing his throat and walking into the dining room and kitchen. “Doctor Foster, right? And Doctor Selvig?”

Erik nodded deeply. “At your service. Any friend of Darcy’s is welcome here—whether we have any say in it or not.” He laughed at his own joke, but Thor got the feeling he wasn’t just talking about Strange. 

“Thank you so much,” Strange said. “I should be back at the hospital but—”

“But you need rest,” Thor and Darcy said in unison. They gave him pointed looks. He pressed his lips into a line and nodded, giving in.

“Yeah.”

“Now. Breakfast. I’ll make it, shall I?” Thor said with a tight smile. He clapped his hands together, puffing his chest. “Darcy, princess, can you keep an eye on Stephen? He’s had a long day.”

“Yep.” Darcy grinned. “Can I call you Steve?”

Thor went to the stove, looking back at the grimace the sorcerer gave everyone. He felt bad for making him deal with people right after he drove, but there were only a few ways he could manage to keep the timeline intact. 

“Tell us about your dream,” Darcy said behind him. He cracked a few eggs that sizzled into the pan. 

Once Stephen had finished telling the events of his dream, the clear, painful spikes; the magical alien; the Time Stone, Darcy looked up at Thor. They already knew the dream had to have been prophetic, but how come two of them had dreams involving the Infinity Stones. 

“That’s freaky,” Darcy mumbled. Thor put food down on the table top, sitting next to her.

“Do you believe us?” he half-teased. Darcy slipped her hand in Thor’s as they ate. 

“I beweef you, ’eeah,” she said, munching her eggs.

“I’m glad to see you two are getting along,” Strange said. If garbage grins could be any dirtier, Stephen was wearing one. Thor cleared his throat.

“Wassat mean?” Darcy asked and swallowed her food. Stephen arched a brow. 

“Princess,” Thor whispered, shaking his head. She rubbed circles into the back of his hand with her thumb, but he didn’t want her to ask anything else. Not if it meant his affections looked like a lie… “Please, Darcy.”

“Doctor Strange,” Jane said, voice hard, “what did that mean?”

Thor tried his hardest to be telepathic as he silently pleaded for Strange to wait. She couldn’t be told. Not yet. 

Stephen sat up slowly, putting his fork down. “I just meant that I was glad my friend found someone he could care for. That’s all.” It was an obvious lie, but thankfully, no one pressed. 

Breakfast was going quite well besides that, but the sudden knock on the glass door brought everyone’s attention to the people Thor least expected to see.

The Warriors Three waved excitedly, shouting at Thor through the glass. “Brother!” Fandral shouted. 

Many emotions flooded through his body like water in a faucet. So many words he had wanted to say to Fandral before he learned of his death, so many times he had taken Hogun for granted, so many thoughts he had given in judgement over Volstagg’s appetite. He had forgotten about how they came to his rescue before, but he wouldn’t forget now.

Quickly, he got up from the table and ran to open the door. He pushed it open, laughing with a new delight. “My friends!” he rejoiced. “You’re here! How?” He embraced each of them, every Warrior’s strength more surprising than the last. Thor almost forgot his body had been somewhat stripped when he landed on Earth. 

Fandral was the first to speak, as always. “We convinced Heimdall to let us find you!”

“We’ve come to bring you home, Thor! You can be king and apologize and everything!” Volstagg continued.

“You didn’t need to find me,” Thor said, shaking his head. His smile faltered but he fought to keep it up. He had to leave so soon? “I’m happy here.”

“Thor, have you fallen under Loki’s spell, too?” Hogun asked in a hushed tone, a genuine expression of concern on his face. He moved to close the distance between them. “Has he done this to you?”

“The only  _ spell _ I’m under is Darcy’s,” he argued. Fury slowly filled his chest. “Loki wouldn’t betray me like that.”

“Why not?” Fandral scoffed. “He’s enchanted Sif. I heard them talking about some kind of—”

“She’s been put under a curse!” Volstagg interrupted. “You have to come home!”

Thor shook his head defiantly. “I won’t. Not until I have Mjölnir.” He paused. “What kind of curse?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”

“What are you waiting for, then?” Jane asked, walking up to Thor with Darcy in tow. Darcy had a PopTart in her mouth this time. “Obviously you can tell that she’s under a curse; explain it to him.”

“Ah!” Fandral exclaimed, clapping his hands together gleefully. He faced Jane as he spoke. “You must be Darcy, aren’t you? Your beauty is far superior to any other mortal I’ve seen—”

“Actually, that’s me,” the real Darcy interrupted, wiping crumbs off of her face. “That’s Jane. You must be Loki, aren’t you?”

That shut Fandral up, but Stephen was having trouble stifling a giggle. Thor craned his neck, perplexed by the doctor. Stephen stopped the best he could. “What? Loki is  _ nothing  _ like that guy.” He raised his hands up in surrender. “It might be the lack of sleep.”

“Come here.”

Strange walked a few steps and then fell over. He was out cold. Thor lifted him up and sat him in a chair. “Give him a moment and forgive him,” he said, propping his friend up comfortably. “He hasn’t had a very good few days.” 

Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun were all the picture of confusion. “Who is he?”

“Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. He’s the reason why I can’t leave,” Thor explained gently. “He’s everything but bad, so don’t hurt him.”

“Thor, you’re  _ mad!” _ Volstagg exclaimed.

“Watch it!” Darcy snapped. Erik and Jane hit the ceiling when she shouted. “He’s not mad!”

“Where is Sif?” Thor shouted over them. 

“With Loki!” Hogun answered. “They’re back on Asgard—”

Glass broke. Everyone jumped back. Thor was the only one who stepped forward to see the destructor… the Destroyer. 

He looked it dead in its helmet. “You’re a little early; aren’t you?”

It opened all the way, with Loki and Sif spilling out of the shell. Loki was shaking, his lip trembling fearfully. They were both covered in injuries. He was holding the lady close to his chest, making sure she wasn’t too hurt.

Thor knelt next to them, gaping. “What happened?” he asked quickly, pushing the glass aside. 

Loki looked up at Thor. He had a busted upper lip, and his forehead was split open, and blood ran down his eye and chin. The lifefluid matted his short and messy hair but that hardly mattered much other than making him look dreadful. Sif was cut up and bruised, blood seeping from her side like a waterfall. “Our plan took a little detour—oh, that’s it, darling, keep pressure on it… we forgot about Laufey, Thor, and he attacked earlier than before.” He moved Sif’s hair out of her face tenderly as she groaned in pain. “I managed to distract him from Father but now he’s following through the Bi-Frost.”

“Thor, you never said your brother had a girlfriend!” Darcy scolded, bringing over paper towels and water. “What if I needed to make a first aid kit in advance?”

“Just get something for their bleeding, please!” Thor begged. He loved the woman dearly, but he didn’t know if she could handle emergencies well, yet. “And they’re not together!”

Darcy, Jane, and Erik rushed off. As if on cue, Stephen woke suddenly, snapping his fingers and standing from his chair. Orange light put the glass back together in its frame perfectly as he trudged over. 

“Ssstand back. I’m a doctor,” he grumbled. He rubbed his eyes. “A very good, very  _ tired  _ doctor.” He paused. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

“Stephen, thank the Norns! Please, heal Sif,” Loki rushed, trying to stand up. Stephen whooshed him down, again.

“You’re in terrible shape, too, dumbbell. What did you leave to do? Get killed?” Strange sighed heavily. “She’ll live if she gets stitches immediately”—the sorcerer waved his hands as he spoke, healing the lady—“and you’ve got a concussion.”

“We don’t have time to sit and talk about what’s wrong! We have to stop Laufey!” Loki shouted. He scrambled to get onto his feet, but he didn’t stand. The Warriors Three didn’t rush to Sif’s side like that.

Not ever. 

They stood limply, clearly not sure how to respond and visibly upset by it. Their ring leader was down, and now they were lost. Loki was at the lady’s beck and call.

How did that happen?

“Where is Laufey, now?” Thor asked. 

“He’s coming for us. I took the Destroyer in an attempt to distract him and I took out his army. I saved Father,” Loki answered, brushing Sif’s cheek. “Sif was invaluable today. Priceless. Without her, I would have been dead.”

Thor knelt. “Let Darcy take care of her for now. We have to finish this together—as brothers.”

Loki swallowed. “Do you think you’ll get Mjölnir, now?”

“Do you think I care? Our family is in danger.”

“Mother and Father—”

“—will be safe. But Stephen, Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, Sif, Darcy, Jane, and Erik will die if we don’t try.” Thor squeezed Loki’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be in the same position as last time. I won’t leave you to be tortured again.”

Loki nodded quietly. “One moment.” He kissed Sif’s cheek. “Let’s go.”


	14. Chapter XIII: Battle Won, Story Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laufey is defeated, but the story has just begun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have many more chapters planned, so don't any of you think this is the end.

Loki didn’t feel comfortable leaving Sif alone, not after he had seen her get attacked by those… those  _ fiends.  _ He knew it wasn’t love so soon—well,  _ that _ kind of love—but it riled a beast inside his chest. Loki didn’t like killing people outright or in cold blood, but he could have killed a nation by himself if he had the chance.

He had the chance this time. He had the chance to make it all okay. He didn’t have to allow some mistake like letting Laufey into Asgard be a turning point of destruction for him. He didn’t have to ruin a partnership or a brotherhood this time. 

Yet, he still felt furious. He still wanted to stab someone until they cried out in as much pain as Sif ever felt in her life. He still blamed Laufey, he still blamed himself. Thor promised him so much as well that he was a bit tetchy with him, too.

They walked out into the middle of the desert, right over the Bi-Frost’s markings. Loki’s feet hurt from the uneven ground and from his previous injuries, the sand stinging his wounds. He winced when the wind picked up. 

Thor looked so calm. So regal. So ready to lead without realizing it. Loki wished he could be as ready as Thor; but even with all his plans and half-cooked ideas, he wasn’t anywhere close to being worthy of the throne.

So what if he wasn’t worthy of a wife, either? What if he couldn’t save her?

Loki glowered at Thor, still stewing and worrying. “If I die,” he piped up, his voice shaking, “If I die, I will come back to  _ kill you _ for making me miss—”

“We don’t know where he is,” Thor interrupted. “Be quiet. You won’t die, don’t worry about Sif. She’s a big girl.”

_ Making me miss my wedding. _ “I understand what she is, but I care about her immensely. You aren’t the only one who’s found a new light at the end of the tunnel, brother.” Loki unsheathed his dagger. “She’s mine.”

Thor turned his head, standing firmly without any weapon. He gave Loki a staredown, but he didn’t do it to pass judgement. If it was anything like the look Loki was probably giving, it was taking in the old, younger appearance of his sibling. “You’re in love with her, then?”

Loki rolled his eyes at his brother. “Laufey thinks I am. You obviously think I am. I don’t care what anyone  _ thinks _ about it, though.” He kept looking for Laufey, that rage in his chest swelling more and more and more. Laufey would have killed Odin if he hadn’t done anything. 

_ “Time to show your allegiance, peace-bringer,” Laufey smirked. He stepped through Odin’s bedroom door with heavy feet, shoving the prince in the chest to get past him. He sauntered, swayed. “Your girl can’t hold those fools off forever. You’re lucky if she lives. You’re lucky if I let  _ you _ live.”  _

_ With a low chuckle, Laufey stood over Odin’s bed, looking through the protective shield. He raised his sword up to look into its blade, study it. Loki didn’t want to kill Laufey. Not yet. Thor still had to come home. He only stepped forward, close enough to whisper a single lie into Laufey’s ear. It would be just enough to mess with the great king of Jotunheim. Just enough to stall the murder of the Allfather.  _

_ “Kill me? That would have defeated the whole purpose of Odin keeping me,” Loki scoffed, hissing out a laugh. His throat felt tight. Sif was in trouble. Thor was in trouble. “It isn’t  _ him _ that you want. Why take down a king when you can take down his heir? It causes so much more trouble… Your plan? It’s flawed, Laufey. Flawed.” He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “And if you cannot take out the heirs, then you don’t have a legitimate claim to the throne. Your power would be nothing but a constant struggle. Did I promise you a struggle?” _

_ Laufey turned to Loki, his lip curling gruesomely as he opened his mouth to speak— _

“Father couldn’t object to a joint ruling if we both had princesses,” Thor mused, snapping Loki out of his thoughts. The present set itself back into him, chilling him to the bone. No, wait. Beyond the bone. Thor swung his arms, stretching them as if he was getting ready to throw a punch. Loki felt like skinning someone.

He loved the girls. He hadn’t even met Darcy, yet, but he loved her. He wanted to grow their family nicely, but he somehow understood the danger more than his brother, the oaf. How could someone so brilliant be so stupid?

“Thor, we really can’t talk about this right now,” he scolded. His palms were so sweaty that his daggers could slip from his fingers if he wasn’t gripping them so tightly. “Are you really so idiotic that you’re thinking about  _ women _ rather than Asgard’s safety?”

Thor rolled his eyes, scoffing at his brother. He lifted his arms up and dropped them. “Loki, that’s not fair.”

“We have to focus!” 

“I didn’t know how much I would enjoy seeing the sons of Odin fight,” a nasty, curdling laugh rolled behind them. The hair on Loki’s neck stood to attention; Thor’s hands blazed with white-hot currents. The thunder god’s fists clenched. The trickster’s Adam’s apple bobbed low.

So soon?

Both men turned slowly.

Laufey’s sneer dripped with malice, toxicants. If it was possible for all those things to be real, there could have been blood between his teeth, ice in his eyes, and murder in his soul. He would kill them both without qualms. Inside the young giant’s breast, his heartbeat turned into a machine, slow and calculated. Loki felt an internal clock ticking, counting down the seconds to a death. 

His death? Quite possibly. He hoped it was. It was the safest option if he couldn’t defeat Laufey. Sif needed to be safe. Thor needed Darcy. 

_ Click, dock. Click, dock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. _

Laufey cocked his head hard, jutting out his jaw. “Come on, little peace-bringer. Who will fight me first?” He spread his arms wide to welcome combat. “Will it be the true son of Odin? Or the fraud?” 

“Fraud? Oh, I’m no fraud,” Thor laughed before Loki could open his mouth. He was almost grateful for the intervention, but there was never a time when the frost giant king and the god of thunder clashed their strengths. Not in the last future. Not in the past. “I’m the real thing.”

Laufey stopped, lowering his arms. They hung limply by his sides as his shoulders slumped as a perplexed face slowly replaced the hideous smirk. “I know. I meant—”

“Loki is the truest Asgardian I’ve ever seen, even  _ with _ his different heritage!” he continued. Thor crossed his arms tightly as his chest puffed, curling his lip at the old Jotun. They steadily closed the space a stride at a time: Thor was calm, casual, and cool; Laufey was cold, conniving, and criminal.

Loki exhaled deeply as he watched, a new flame of vexation that shot downward from head to toe blasting through his body.  _ Thor, even after all these years, is still an imbecile, _ Loki thought.  _ Taunting the men and women who could kill him in an instant. How is it he can find such a weakness within seconds? I have to trick it out! _

“The truest Asgardian? You’re defending the man who betrayed Asgard?” Laufey shook his head mockingly. “You poor, poor fool.” He turned to his estranged child, pointing a long finger. “He saved your life, boy. But now neither he nor your ‘father’ can save you.”

Thor’s smile faltered, but he fought to keep it up. “You’re lying. My brother wouldn’t betray me that way,” he insisted. The tone of his voice made it sound as though he were trying to believe it himself. “You’re a liar.” Loki’s heart started breaking. 

“Thor, stop!” he snapped, his face burning with shame. 

“You best listen to the peace-bringer,” Laufey scorned. “How do you think I survived the invasion? Why do you think Loki knew I was coming? This has been planned for many months, young Odinson.”

“You didn’t commit treason, Loki,” Thor said, a sad bubble of laughter spilling from his throat. “Tell me you didn’t.”

Loki pressed his lips into a line. “There was more than one reason I used the Casket all those years ago, Thor,” he admitted quietly. He tried to step closer to his brother but Thor put up his hands to distance them.

“You didn’t! Loki, say you didn’t!”

“Thor, stop, this is exactly what he wants—!” Loki pleaded, but he was too late. 

“You!” Thor looked between the parent and the offspring. “You conspired together?” His eyes rested on Loki, tearful, reflectant of his crumbling heart. “How  _ could _ you?”

Loki, now feeling his own tears, shook his head apologetically. “It was a long time ago, Thor. Please, telling you about it would have only—”

“It would have only been the right thing to do!”

“You’re right, but we can’t discuss this, now.”

Laufey drew his sword. “Oh, I think you can.” 

Thor shook his head defiantly. “You know what? Strange was right. Darcy  _ is _ the key. I’m not returning to Asgard—you’re on your own. I can’t help you anymore.” He had a face of stone; the muscles were tense and frozen, yet blank and unbothered. Thor turned on his heel roughly, stomping back to the Smith building. “You can kill me if you’d like!”

Loki had only seen Thor that upset one other time—Frigga’s death. He was responsible for that, too. He was causing such turmoil in the universe; maybe  _ he _ was the reason Doctor Strange came to them, took them back to 2011. He forced down the giant lump in his throat, lifting his head high. “Or you could kill me instead.”

Laufey chuckled softly. “Well, my boy, it seems  _ you’re _ the heir of Asgard. Let us get to it.”

* * *

Loki betrayed Asgard. Loki betrayed Asgard.  _ Loki betrayed Asgard. _

Yes, Thor knew Loki tried to obliterate Jotunheim and rule Midgard.

Yes, Thor knew he faked his death twice.

_ Yes, _ he knew Loki cursed Odin and took his place, resulting in the release of Hela and the destruction of their home.

But there was nothing— _ nothing, _ and Thor knew it—Loki loved more than Asgard. Not the land, but the people. You could see it in his eyes, the way he acted when someone brought even the name up. He loved the kingdom more than anything else in the realms. His love for it could rival their father’s—… Odin’s love for it.

Loki betrayed Asgard. He had done it, and he had said nothing. Yet Thor couldn’t figure out the reason he kept silent; he couldn’t wrap his head around it; he was stumped. 

Why had Loki been quiet this whole time? Was it even true?

He kicked the sand, ashamed he didn’t see it. He was supposed to be the one who knew his brother better than anyone else ever had. It couldn’t be true, but the way Loki reacted to the accusation proved it was. Now he was alone, fighting the king of Jotunheim by himself.

Loki defeated Laufey once—he knew he had. He could do it again. 

He bet his life on it.

* * *

Darcy was worried sick. She was close to vomiting. There were four strangers in her bosses’ work building, one bleeding vigorously, one stomping around, one sifting through the glass, and one freaking out like a teenage girl. She wanted to breathe into a paper bag or something similar.

Jane and Erik were trying to get everyone to calm down, and Stephen was standing as straight as a rod as he tried “to watch and foretell” all the action. He didn’t move an inch, but just hummed some kind of mantra or incantation to himself. He sounded like he was hammered.

“I wish  _ I _ was hammered,” she mumbled, thinking back to when she tazed Thor. That seemed like so long ago, now. Trying to quell her anxiety, she sat next to Sif, giving her a shy smile. “So. You’re my sister-in-law-to-be?” she teased. Sif cracked a grin while Darcy snorted over her stupid joke.

“I guess you could say that. Are you and Thor going to marry?”

“Probably not, but I’m not letting him go unless he asks me to,” she answered, resting a hand on her fist. The warrioress seemed more like a goddess than someone who was sick. She seemed like the kind of person who could shoot fire straight out of her dark eyes. Was that really Loki’s type? “What about you and Loki? How did you fall in love?”

Sif’s smile fell, replaced quickly by a scowl of annoyance. “We aren’t in love. We’re just getting married. That’s  _ it.” _ She sat up, wincing, but Darcy pushed her down to rest on her elbows. “He’s just—”

“Utterly in love with you,” Darcy supplied. Sif grunted. She laid back down, covering her eyes with both hands.

“He isn’t in love with me.  _ I’m _ not in love with  _ him _ . We’ve known each other many years, but that doesn’t mean we’re romantically linked,” she sighed. “However, you and Thor seem to love each other very much for only knowing each other for a few days.”

Judgy. Darcy could only shrug unapologetically. “You can’t stop things like that. All you can do is make sure you play them out correctly.” She gave Sif a tiny smile. “So, Ms. Sister-In-Law, how about it? Can I get you anything?”

Sif arched a slender brow. “Get me something? Like… food?”

The mortal nodded. “A cookie. Cocoa. Something.”

“What is a co-co?” Sif asked slowly, her mouth twisting to hide her humor. She was going to be a good friend already.

“A sweet, warm drink. Thor loves it, but I don’t know if you would.” Darcy quickly got up and went to the counter, returning with the cup of cocoa she was making for herself not too long ago. She passed it to Sif. “Just take a drink and tell me what you think of it.”

Sif wet her lips in thought. “Alright. I’ll try it.”

Darcy grinned, wiping her clammy hands on her blue jeans. “Awesome sauce. Now, could you get those weirdos to calm down? Stephen doesn’t need another glass door breaking and I don’t think poor Janey could handle it.”

“As you wish, Lady Darcy,” Lady Sif laughed.

Speaking of the good ol’ doc, Stephen kept looking through the window he had fixed just moments ago, his gaze intense. He seemed to be studying the horizon, yet his vision was mostly inward. His shifting eyes had stayed emerald green for close to ten minutes, unblinking and glowy. Darcy couldn’t pull her own away from him once she tried guessing what he could be thinking of.

Suddenly, he drew a sharp breath, sending a jolt through the room. Muttering, he said, “That can’t happen.”

“What can’t happen?” someone asked. Darcy couldn’t tell who. 

He snapped to it, shaking his head profusely as he took a few steps away from the glass. He tightly shut his eyes. “Thor is coming back. It can’t happen—if that happens, Loki will die.”

_ “What?” _ Darcy and Sif exclaimed. One sounded frightened and the other sounded disbelieving. Darcy wasn’t sure which one she was, but she didn’t like a man dying more than not knowing.

“Darcy, go stop him!” Jane yelled. Darcy swivelled her head. 

“Why do you care about Loki?”

“I care about Thor,” she countered. Darcy’s heart did a somersault, both in surprise and in anger. “What are you standing around for? GO.”

Darcy dashed out the door as fast as she could. Stephen followed her. He had, at some point in the morning, changed from scrubs to casual clothing, which rustled and zipped as he ran. Darcy felt trapped in her sweater, throwing it on the ground as she sprinted in the direction Thor had left in.

“Why are you coming with me?” she asked Strange.

“Why not? They’re in trouble, aren’t they?”

“What will happen?”

Stephen made a face, causing Darcy’s pulse to move to her throat. If this man, who—so far—was confident and collected, was making a face about the fate of Thor and Loki, then there was a good reason for it. “I hope we don’t find out,” he told her plainly.

All Darcy could do was nod. 

After about ten minutes of searching the desert, Thor came out of nowhere and crushed Darcy between his arms. 

“Hey!” she screamed, holding onto him for dear life despite the fact that she wanted to hit his gorgeous face with a shovel. Or two. Or three. “What is wrong with you? Your brother could die!” 

“My brother betrayed my kingdom,” he said quietly, setting her down momentarily. He gazed deeply into her eyes. “I can’t go back and help him. He’s made his bed, and he’ll lie in it.”

“What happened to you? Don’t you know that it’s going to take the both of you?” Stephen yelled back. Thor jumped, pulling quite the expression.

“He’s—”

_ “Changed, _ Thor! If I didn’t already know what happened with the Jotun, I wouldn’t have asked the both of you to help protect the universe! Without Loki, you’re basically nothing. Without Darcy, you’re useless. You can’t save the world by yourself, numbskull!” Stephen shook his head, scratching at a beard that wasn’t there. “You need to trust us!”

“But I—”

“But nothing! If I’m supposed to be this  _ ‘it,’ _ why do I feel like I can’t do anything?” Darcy chimed in. “What if your brother does die? How can you live with that? How can I live with you if I knew you did that to him in good conscience?! I am telling you  _ right now  _ that if you don’t step it up and let me help you—let this Strange dude help you—you’re going to be alone.”

“He’s stopped Laufey before!” Thor argued lamely. He wiped his face, the danger of reality setting itself over him. He didn’t want to believe that whoever that Loki guy was fighting could be  _ that _ dangerous. Darcy felt bad for doing nothing but watching, but she couldn’t help without being told everything.

Even she knew that it wasn’t time to be told everything. Thor’s home wasn’t safe, yet. Right now, neither was Loki. The people went before her briefing; the people went before her comfort.

“He had the element of surprise before!” Strange scolded, seeming truly anxious and worried for Loki. “He couldn’t defeat Laufey without it! Now he’s fighting that monster without a chance to throw him off!”

“Oh, my Norns,” the prince breathed. “Oh, my Norns, oh, my Norns… Allfather, forgive me…” 

He took a few steps back, covering his mouth. Thor’s face turned from its usual warm-pale to an ashy white, his lip trembling as he removed his hands from his lips. Tears were suddenly visible in his eyes. Darcy wanted to wipe them away for him. She walked over to Thor, taking his hand and lacing her thin fingers through his long ones. 

“What the hell are we waiting for?” she whispered to him, rubbing his knuckles. “Let’s go kick some butt, my worthy Sparkles.”

* * *

Loki was the first one to attack.

Laufey countered it immediately, almost effortlessly. He barely made contact with Loki’s first dagger before it flew across the sand. Loki screamed and 

Laufey moved out of the way, deflecting Loki’s small blade with his large one once more. “Don’t make  _ amatuer _ decisions, my boy,” he smirked. Firmly, he shoved the young god to the ground.

Loki winced and stood back up. “I’m  _ not _ your boy,” he said nastily. This time, he waited for Laufey’s blow.

Like the man who threw it, the strike was quick. 

It was almost too fast to catch if you blinked. A ringed fist met Loki’s cheek, the gnarled knuckles of an old man cutting skin and drawing blood once more. Loki didn’t fall that time, but he did retreat by a few steps.

When the second fist came, Loki caught it. He squeezed down on the king’s curled fingers, pushing the Jotun’s little finger back harshly. Of course, this was only to be petty. Laufey yelped like a hound, but didn’t recoil. Instead, he pushed and moved to choke Loki. 

As the air fought to enter his windpipe, Loki clawed at the Jotun’s hands desperately.  _ “You _ fight like an amateur.”

“You fight like a woman,” he laughed, taking the prince’s shirt torso violently.

“Good thing the woman is always the winner.” He felt his knees buckle as his exhaustion settled in. His words were about the only thing he had left to try and catch Laufey; to  _ kill  _ Laufey. “What are you? A king? A god? Or are you a slimy, disrespectful worm like Odin always said?”

Laufey roared with fury. “You fool! Whose side are you on?” He threw Loki yards away, barely wringing his neck. “I will cut your tongue! I will remove your ribs!”

“Damn me to Hel if you must!” he cursed, rolling back in the sand. “It would be better than allowing any frost giant to sit on the throne of Asgard!”

Laufey closed in on the little Jotun. Pure madness bled from his ruby eyes, seeped from his drooling maw. “I protected you for years, little one. Is this what I deserve for that?”

“Kill me. Go on. Kill me and see what it does!”

_ Kill me, see what it does. _

Loki’s heart throbbed in his chest, praying silently to whomever he could. In an instant, he prayed for Frigga, his mother.

Laufey steadied himself.

He prayed for Thor, his brother; he prayed for Odin; most of all, he prayed for the woman he stupidly loved.

Laufey lifted his weapon to meet the sky, planting his feet into the ground. 

Would he see Sif again? Would his feelings disappear suddenly? He only wanted to be her teammate…

“Any last words?”

* * *

Thor ran as fast as he could to the crater where Mjölnir rested, seeing his brother throw a punch or two at the frost giant king. His heart thumped in his gizzard, like deadly drums ringing in the hall that was his mind. “Please, please, please,” he whispered, gripping the handle of the hammer tightly. 

Darcy’s feet didn’t rest, neither did Strange’s fingers. They were antsy. Thor was antsy.

“Now?” Darcy asked.

“No,” Stephen said. “It has to be Thor.”

“I thought I was the most important thing to the timeline!”

“Not in this moment.”

Thor gave a hard tug, but the hammer wouldn’t come loose. In the distance, Loki’s figure became still, a hand around his throat. 

_ No. _

“Thor, hurry!”

_ “I’m trying,  _ Darcy!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “I can’t do it.”

“Try harder!” she pleaded, but she sounded far away. Thor was focused on his brother, now. He was struggling, smirking that fake smile that was only used when he was in trouble. He seemed far too helpless; he was the more strategic of them.

Had he thrown his plans away?

The words from Laufey’s lips didn’t fall on Thor’s ears, but he could still hear them:  _ Whose side are you on? _

Loki fell to the ground. 

Something in Thor snapped. 

_ “Are you Thor, God of Hammers?” _ a voice rang in his ears. It wasn’t Odin’s voice. It was Darcy’s, some glimpse into their future.

She was dressed in something similar to what she had on now, with an endearing smile and a half-lidded, sleepy gaze. She seemed content.

Loki shouted something, causing the older man to draw his sword. 

_ “No,” _ Thor would answer her.  _ “I’m the God of  _ Thunder _.” _

Within the second the thought dropped in his mind, Laufey’s head got smashed by a large block of precious metal. 

The king turned into snowflakes. 

The battle was won.


	15. Chapter XIV: Parting and Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrap up of THOR (2011), and the Avengers era begins. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

“Oh, my—”

“Thor, that was incredible,” Strange breathed. The outcome, the deliverance… He felt giddy watching it all unfold. There was no dramatic reveal, there was no lightning bolt from the sky. It was just Thor, standing with his hand outstretched and vengeance carved into his face. The hammer flew back into his hand the moment the snow dissipated, godly fingers wrapping firmly around the handle.

“Loki was in trouble,” he said quietly. He looked down at his clothes, which were no different, if not a little dusty from the hammer zipping through the air. He set the hammer down (he dropped it, really), eyes still on Loki. “Come.”

The doctor looked at the intern, shrugging. They made their way to Loki, who was rubbing his neck vertically to relieve pain. He waved at Darcy and Stephen. He looked toward his brother, gazing intently.

“Worthy, again?” he asked, giving a grunt as he rolled his shoulders. 

Thor’s face was unreadable. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “Obviously. Now get up before I kill you for almost dying.”

Loki scoffed. “Eh. I have a woman to see before you do; give me an hour.”

“Cow.” 

“Oaf.”

“What is it with you and Lady Sif? You aren’t in love; you barely know her.”

Loki stifled a moan as he stood up. “I like her. Is that an issue? You’re with Darcy.”

Thor didn’t answer. Stephen laughed softly. Darcy rolled her eyes, moving to introduce herself.

“Speaking of that. I’m Darcy Lewis, majoring in political science and hopefully will be dating your brother in 2012,” she grinned, sticking her hand out to shake. Loki reciprocated, giving her a half-smile.

“You’re shorter than I imagined.”

“And you’re a beast.” Darcy crooked her head. Strange smirked to himself. They were all getting along. “So do you do anything crazy like Thor’s lightning stuff?”

Loki’s eyebrows knit together. “What is that supposed to mean?” He turned to the other men for help, his eyes squinting in the midday light. “‘Crazy things’?”

“Show her the illusions,” Stephen and Thor said together. “She’ll need to know everything about everything, soon.”

_ “I _ don’t even know everything about everything,” Loki protested. Loki, not wanting to show off? What had the world come to? It was little less than a week ago when Loki was shouting at Stephen for being a “second-rate sorcerer” and drew his knives in defense.

Then again, little less than a week ago all three of them were different people. So much had happened so soon, like magic had set in and immovable forces had turned them to this moment. Stephen saw it all coming, obviously, but it was another thing to live through it. After everything that happened in the last timeline…

Darcy pouted. She poked her toe in the ground. “Aw, come on. Show me. Stephen can’t be anywhere near as talented as a god; right?”

That ignited a tiny spark in Loki’s eyes. “I do suppose you’re right, Miss Lewis.”

They drowned out slowly but surely and became nothing but muffled and bubbling noise hitting his ears but never registering. A sharp pang stabbed Stephen’s heart and a very real but invisible dagger pierced through his spirit. 

Would this all be worth rewriting so many people’s lives? Could he do it? Was he capable of saving these new lives from what was once an inevitable tragedy? Had he knowingly erased infinite souls because he didn’t want to save them? Had he become any better than  _ him? _

His hands shook, feeling weak and pained. He had only used only two stones to commit the same murder he was trying to prevent on a two-fold scale. 

What  _ was _ he?

“Strange, are you alright?” someone asked, pulling him back from reality’s undercurrent. He closed his eyes, blinking back tears.

“No,” he whispered, still not sure who he was talking to. “But I’ll find a way through it.” 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Christine standing in the sand, the way he saw her back in 2016. She gave him a sad smile. He shook his head. She was gone as quick as she came, and he would never see the Christine he fell in love with again. She was gone.

The old Stephen Strange was gone.

So this new thing that stood in his shoes, whatever it was, could turn its attention back to the princes and the girl. 

Thor gently kissed Darcy’s head, holding onto his hammer tightly to his leg. It must have flown back into his possession when Stephen wasn’t looking. “I’ll come back soon. 2012.”

“2012,” Darcy echoed. She gave him a sad smile. “Do you have any way of contacting me?”

Thor shook his head. “I’ll send something down for you if I know it works.”

“Then that’s good enough for me. But once it hits 2013, I’m dating people—got it?”

“I understand, princess,” he chuckled, stroking her cheek. “Take care of Erik and Jane for me.”

“Are you kidding? I’m getting a job at S.H.I.E.L.D.!” Darcy turned to Stephen, giving him a broad grin. “You’re coming with me, Doctor Strange.”

He nodded once. Loki shrugged. 

“We should get going, Thor. We’ll see each other soon,” Loki said, setting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. 

Thor nodded, taking strides over to where the Bi-Frost would take them. “You’re right. You do the honors, brother.”

They stood on the circle, Loki shouting the name of the gatemaster, leaving in a showering beam.

*+*+*

  
Loki and Thor had been home for about four days once Sif and the Warriors Three had all come back. Sif was the first to return, but the Warriors made their own expeditions and explorations of Midgard. Sif gave them an earful once they asked her about the apparent “curse” Loki had put her under, even despite the fact they were worried for her.

She sat next to Loki, rubbing her temples with a heavy sigh. She was a bride-to-be, a Captain of the Guard, and possibly a future queen. This was all so much to process and handle. Loki was completely different than a month ago, but she found she admired the old look in her friend’s eyes. “You’re already ruining my reputation, you know.”

“My dear, it’s not their business.” He gently removed her hands from her forehead and rubbed her knuckles. “You’re helping me. To the public and our army, we are in love. That’s how I help you.” He kissed her fingers with reassurance. He was too soft.

“You’re insufferable,” Sif grumbled. 

“You’re just darling, my nightingale,” he murmured back. It wasn’t a jab. 

Odin still hadn’t awoken from his Odinsleep. He had no idea Loki knew he was adopted, engaged, a traitor, and a hero to Asgard during the whole time he slept. He had no idea his eldest son was worthy of the throne by simply willing it to be. If Thor and Loki joined together, they could bring about a fate worse than death. With their little mortal sorcerer, they barely had to try. 

And  _ Darcy. _

She could befriend anyone; she could smile and the trees would bend. A pure soul if Sif had ever seen one. She understood the political games of men and women; she had the ability to gain insider information by just asking. The most dangerous and useful acquisition the girl had by far was her hold on people, though. She understood them.

Darcy understood people far better than Sif did. She would be a better queen if she could live as long as Asgardians did. 

Thor came into the room with Frigga. The queen gave a lighthearted smile to Loki and Sif, who stood upon their arrival. “We have news, brother! Not to mention a way to invade New York successfully.”

Sif glared.  _ “What?” _

Loki laughed nervously, shrugging. “You’re going to have to trust me; just until 2012.” He turned to Thor. “What’s your plan, dearest mother and brother?”

“You and Thor are going to share the throne,” Frigga said. The queen was smiling more than Sif had ever seen her. “Sif and Thor’s lady as queens, obviously. Dual-ruling, if you’d like.”

The lady and Loki shared a look, then looked back at the other two. “Dual-ruling? Is it even possible?”

“It has to be,” Thor said. “I won’t be a good king without my brother. I can only hope the same can be said for him.” He grinned. “Father knows what we’ve accomplished, how can he say no?”

“He cannot,” the queen chirped. “You were raised and trained separately—equally, as well—and you could both keep your titles as prices if you wished.”

“This  _ cannot _ be legal,” Loki gaped.

“It’s legal, but through a loophole,” Frigga smirked. “I foresaw this, of course. And as for 2012, your older brother suggested that you bring down Asgard’s army. The Avengers would still form.”

Loki’s jaw dropped. He turned to Sif, his lips pulled tight from ear to ear. “Do you hear that, Sif? It’s working!”

Thor clapped his shoulder. “We’ll finish this flawlessly.”

Sif couldn’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t be flawless. In fact, she could see everything going wrong. Her Loki, her new friend, Thor… this would end badly.

She could feel it.

* * *

_ “Bring me the Stones, Allfather,”  _ a hoarse, rumbling voice came from beyond the realms, spilling into his dreams. 

Darkness wasted no time closing in. Odin felt a dooming, lingering presence, even in his sleeping state. Someone—more likely some _ thing _ —hung over him. He had bested many powerful beings, but this entity was either his equal or his better.

“I’ll not let you into my kingdom!” he shouted into the blackness. 

_ “You cannot protect Asgard from  _ me;  _ not if you don’t listen,”  _ the voice continued.  _ “You’re growing too old to finish me off.” _

Visions flashed in his eyes: the Stones, their locations; the palace walls crumbling; Frigga and his sons failing to escape; dust and rubble covering every surface. 

So much destruction.

So much pain.

So much blood to his name, never to be atoned for. 

“Who dares threaten the king of Asgard?” Odin screamed in the dream.

Laughter was his only response.

“WHO?” 

Wind—noise, perhaps—built up as the laughter died. Odin’s heart raced, blood rushing fast enough to make him dizzy. He wanted to retch. The voice once again taunted him:  _ “You know my name, Allfather. It’s—” _

Suddenly, the vision ended. Odin sat up, eyes flying open. He couldn’t catch his breath, one word tumbling out of his mouth as quiet as the birth of a flame but just as deadly.  _ “Thanos.” _


	16. Chapter XV: Onward, Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding is underway. The Tesseract is being awakened as they celebrate.

Odin rarely left Asgard, but it was becoming a habit as he increasingly talked with Thanos. It wasn’t hard—he could go anywhere. His children hadn’t ascended to the throne just yet; he could make promises to the Mad Titan. _He could save Asgard and the other remaining realms if he just took care of Midgard,_ he would remind himself. _Thanos, with his newfound Children, are worse than anything my boys can take on alone. Fighting them would be useless._

Before he would see Thanos or his messenger, the Allfather would open the Bi-Frost himself. The spokesman would usually ask him to conduct business in the middle of space, but this thin alien. Odin planted his feet firmly, lifting his shoulders. “We cannot destroy an entire realm while the Tesseract awakens.” The messenger lifted his rock-like head, tilting it as if what the Allfather had said was confusing. He added on, “It would be foolish; surely Thanos knows the risk.” 

Something about this felt embarrassing, but he didn’t know why. 

The Other grinned in a nauseating manner. “Yesss,” the Other purred, lifting up one of his six fingers. Unbeknownst to Odin, or the rest of them, but Time itself had sent a different Other to this task. This one was tailored to _Odin’s_ fears, _Odin’s_ intimidations. This Other was a cobra with an oil-coated tongue like Loki’s. “But my massster does not wish to _demolish_ Midgard. He wishes to capture the stonesss… make the Universe right…”

“I need your armies to whip Midgard into obedience. Once I know that is done, the Tesseract and the Mind Stone will be his,” Odin pressed. He stepped closer to the monster, lifting his chin up high to intimidate the hooded creature. There was a slight recoil in the other being’s stature, but not as much as the Allfather had wished.

“The Chitauri can—,” the worm hissed, breathing heavily under his hood like a nasty, sickly man. Odin cut him off.

“The Chitauri can do nothing but help your master under my command, can they not?” He glared into the darkness, drawing a deep breath to steady his temper. “Show me what other stones I shall search for.”

Hesitantly, the snake-like being flexed his large hands, two holograms of the Stones emerging from the black of space. “The Tesssseract and the Eye of Agamotto are awaiting you, Allfather… Thanosss will reward you greatly.”

Odin gave a swift nod. “And the Scepter?”

“The staff will be yoursss once you’re flexible, Allfather,” said he. “You will ussse it—”

“No. Absolutely not,” Odin protested firmly. _“I_ will not use it. My youngest boy, he’ll wield the Scepter.”

“Your oldessst boy, then? What about him?” the creature demanded. 

“Prince Thor? He had the most important part in my plan,” Odin said quietly, his lip curling above his teeth. “Thor will distract the Midgardians.”

* * *

> ## • AVENGERS (2012)•

* * *

The morning of his wedding was far too surreal to exist, in his opinion. Bustling about, screaming and crying women all around _her,_ her mother even sending her a congratulations and an apology! She was going to be crowned a queen, but all too soon. Loki never thought Sif would ever get married; not in a hundred thousand years.

Sif wasn’t the type to wonder and daydream about being a bride to some obnoxious man. She was the type to daydream about getting married to anyone, much less to _him._ But, it didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to it all the same.

As the hour of marching closed in, her maids finally gave her some space; she was allowed to fix and touch up her own clothing and makeup in solitude. Or so she thought. Loki had been waiting by the door for his chance the whole morning. _Mother really hadn’t been joking when she said weddings can take hours,_ he thought with his brows raised up high.

Sif gasped in surprise as his arms gently wrapped themselves around her tiny, delicately sculpted, strong shoulders, disrupting her alone time from the servants who had been frantically forcing her into the wedding dress. “What are you—?” 

“Shhh,” a soft voice said, burying a nose into the back of her neck. The bride-to-be saw her fiancé’s green-blue eyes stare back at her through the mirror. Her brown stones rolled in exasperation. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“No! You’re not,” she told him reproachfully. Sif relaxed in his arms, bringing them down to her midriff so she could move her own. He helped her with whatever she reached for, both of them not quite noticing. “You know, it is bad luck. Do you wish to doom our marriage, Loki, breaking the rule?” 

Loki chuckled sweetly, rocking them. He took his time lifting his head up and resting his chin in the dip of her neck, trying to memorize the exact aroma of her perfume. “I think that rule applies if you’re marrying for _feelings,_ love. This is an arranged marriage in the guise of a romantic one.”

“I would think you’d care less about cheating that rule, seeing that we’re not marrying for romance,” Sif scoffed. She put the nicest earrings she owned through her lobes as she spoke. Loki tightened his grip around her waist. “Where will you be going during our ‘honeymoon,’ anyhow?”

“I’ll be on Midgard, I’m afraid,” he answered, kissing her temple as he stood up. “Help me with my armor; my butler got it crooked and wouldn’t let me fix it. I think he utterly destroyed it, in my opinion.”

“You must promise me that you’ll come back,” Sif told her husband-to-be, fixing his helmet and breastplate securely. Her hair was up high in a Dutch crown braid, small flowers weaved through the strands and complimenting her eyes. Her mouth was downturned in a small pout, as well as a worried—although heavily denied—crease sat between her eyebrows. Her dress was half-sleeved and floor-length, a small train about a foot behind her. He hadn’t seen ochre so perfectly on anyone but Sif. Loki felt his heart throb. “I can’t be without you for long; the palace gets too quiet, now.”

“It’s just a trip down to Midgard to see Stephen and Darcy. Is this a declaration of love, my lady?” Loki teased lightly. He was trying his hardest to drink her in, grasp onto a memory of her before he went to revisit a place where he had torn his life apart. Well, the _time._ Sif was the only person (besides Thor) he could trust wholeheartedly—he wanted to keep her to himself for a little while longer. 

After Odin had stormed through the halls to chide Loki and Thor after his long sleep, the men had offered up their proposal. There was nothing to suggest the two of them were incapable, especially after Loki had truly kept Asgard safe while Thor had kept Midgard safe. They were both capable of the burden, so Odin couldn’t disagree. Of course, Odin didn’t want to hear Loki’s argument. Since his wake, he had been on edge about almost everything. The king had only addressed the eldest prince. 

“Are you sure this is what _you_ want, Thor?”

Thor gave a hearty nod. “It’s hard to be a good man and be a good king. Why not have us split the weight?”

After asking and asking and asking and asking, on top of Frigga presenting her loophole, they came to an agreement. He seemed to finally give in after Thor said something about the dual kingship ensuring the realm’s safety. After the guarantee, Thor went out to spread the word to all of Asgard and Loki and Sif told Odin they wanted to be married.

So now, here they were. Loki was sharing his life with someone he adored. He was standing in front of a woman who he trusted with his heart and soul. And speaking of his soul… in the months that passed, Sif had really grown on him. 

“You don’t get a declaration of love,” Sif scolded, finishing her inspection. “We _aren’t_ in love, Loki. We’re friends. That’s all, however unfortunate it is to admit that my days will be rather lonely without you.” She set her hands on his shoulders. Loki gave her pleading eyes, which resulted in an eye roll and a gentle brush to the cheek. “My King Loki, the only man that could make me even _close_ to loving again. My best friend… ironically. There. Are you happy? Has your royal ego been stroked?”

Loki beamed, his chest swelling with pride over the brilliance of her sarcastic comments. “Oh, very, _Queen Sif.”_ He tacked on the new position with a hint of humor. Neither of them had gotten used to their new status as king and queen, husband and wife, even though they hadn’t officially received the names yet. Sif recoiled drastically at the label, shuddering in Loki’s embrace. 

“You’re ruining the moment.”

“You’re going to miss Thor come up to Asgard,” Loki whispered, fixing up Sif’s dress one last time. He let his hands linger on her waist.

The lady looked down at their feet, then back into the prince’s eyes. “He _is_ aware he’s coming to our wedding as well as our collective coronation, isn’t he?”

“Oh. About that, dearest heart.” Loki smiled nervously, a laugh bubbling up that he couldn’t suppress. Thor hadn’t been told. He had no idea about their engagement. Sif frowned, pulling away from him with dismay.

“Loki,” she warned. 

The prince paled at once, fearing for his life. “I _may_ have forgotten—”

“You left it out?”

“—may have _left out_ the wedding bit.”

Sif growled in frustration. “Loki Odinson, I will _kill you!”_ She pushed him gently, and he let her. He completely agreed and understood why she was angry. “Why didn’t you? He’s your brother!”

He took her hands quickly, scrambling to calm her rage. He noticed instantly how small her hands were compared to his, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. She was going to blow. “I didn’t know how to tell him! He had romantic feelings for you in the past, I didn’t want to create a rift in the family or the timeline so soon, so I figured I would tell him when he arrived!”

“You’re lucky you’re heading to Midgard for the honeymoon or so help me—!”

He pressed his finger to her lips. “He’s coming to the wedding. He promised he would be on time. He hasn’t been excluded, my darling.”

“Don’t call me your darling!”

He held her face with both of his hands. “I’ll be the first to greet him—you’ll hear his reaction from across Asgard.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sif said in a low tone. He gave a hearty swallow and stepped back.

“Till the ceremony.”

“Until then,” she huffed. Loki kissed her cheek, careful not to smudge anything about her fragile paint. After that, he scrambled out the door to find his brother.

* * *

Thor was standing at the foot of the base S.H.I.E.L.D. had told him to be. It had been an entire year since he had seen Darcy, with no way to contact her other than through the occasional letter sent by a magical raven. Throughout their separation, she had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. along with Erik Selvig and Jane Foster, flying through ranks like “shots through a barrel.” 

_It’s not as fun without you, but hopefully we’ll see each other soon,_ she wrote back in sloppy yet endearing handwriting. It was almost loopy, but still spiky. So much of her was within each word she chose, too. No normal human being would describe S.H.I.E.L.D. as “fun.” 

Only Darcy would do that. It made his lips tug into a smile.

His father didn’t approve of him seeing a mortal, and Loki had been avoiding him to spend time with Sif, so for the first time in what felt like twenty years, Thor had either been sitting with his mother and helping her sew or fighting and ending wars faster than any prince before. He should have felt accomplished, but he felt as if he hadn’t done enough. He hadn’t seen the girl he adored, he had yet to meet the friends that—before he had been whisked through time—he felt so close to. Now he was just a stranger to Stark, Banner, Steve, Nat, and Barton. 

In the last twelve months, Thor was preparing for a coronation, barely seeing his brother, becoming a war hero, and falling deeply in love with Darcy Lewis. 

“Darcy was the key” was what people had said to him for days the last time he had seen her sweet face. Of course, he didn’t know if she was actually the key of if she was what changed him, and therefore, changed everything else. She was strong, she was opinionated. She believed in having a happy ending. But he didn’t want to keep telling her _she_ was the hero if that was never going to happen. 

Darcy was mortal. Things happened. He couldn’t lose her. 

How could she possibly be the means to an end and the reason a trillions-death tragedy was prevented? She was beyond capable of so many things, but even Thor wasn’t ready to stop something as big as that. If it hadn’t—

“Thor! Thor, there you are. Come to Asgard _immediately_ or Sif is going to have a breakdown,” Loki chattered, the panic infused with his voice sending a literal shock up Thor’s spine. “If I miss my wedding because you’re late, I may just end up missing my head or my scalp. Depending on what my bride feels.”

Thor whipped around. “…bride? You’re getting married? To whom?” His airway tightened, his body buzzing with maddened electricity. “Who is she? Why haven’t you told me about a wedding?”

“Thor, it wasn’t that easy,” Loki laughed gently, but the situation was far from gentle. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

“LOKI!” Thor set down Mjölnir and grabbed a rock to hurl. Loki winced and ducked out of the way. “TELL ME.”

“Sif! I’m marrying Sif. Mother knew the whole time, she suggested it!” He lifted his arms above his face. “I’m not in love wi—THOR, STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME, I’LL LOSE PROJECTION!—I’m not in love with Sif! It’s nothing but a way to ensure her position as Captain of the Guard!”

“YOU SAID _NOTHING,”_ Thor roared. He was furious, although the anger subsided and turned into irritation as he forced hurricanes out of his lungs. He lifted his hammer again. “Loki, how can I trust you if you don’t speak to me?”

“I know! I’m sorry!” Loki apologized. “I just wanted to tell you before you walked in and saw Sif and I exchange our vows.” His image flickered as he took a deep breath. “Whatever you’re waiting for, you should be on Asgard when it happens, brother. I should hate to see anything happen to you without being there to prevent it.”

Thor sighed. “It _is_ our coronation, too; is it not? We should both be there. Together.” He looked out onto the base, then down at the letter he had received from Darcy a few months before. Her loopy handwriting. Her silly little words. Right from the mind of _her._ He couldn’t just leave… could he? 

_“Come see me when 2012 hits. I’ll be waiting :)”_

He pressed his lips together and tried to sigh away his quickening heartbeat. She would just have to wait a little longer, but she wouldn’t wait forever.

“Brother,” Loki pleaded. “You know Father might not be true to his word… I need this from you. _Please._ Forget the girl for a moment… _”_

Thor stuffed the letter into his pocket. “We have to return here, you know.”

“I know.”

Looking up into the sky, Thor called down Heimdall’s power. With a rush, he was gone. He was learning new things every day. He was going to have to get used to being surprised.

* * *

Strange sat with a Mister Nicholas J. Fury in a dark room, arms folded neatly over a blue sweater and light green scrubs. He had been pulled from the hospital when Thor had stopped by; their plan to save the world was going smoothly, but they didn’t need to invade Midgard, apparently. When Stephen asked why, the look in Thor’s eyes wasn’t quite the same as anything the doctor had seen before. He only answered with a single phrase: “I have it under control.”

“Now, Doctor Strange,” Fury said lowly, sitting down at the reflective table that was the same color as the walls, “before I kill you for even _daring_ to step inside a top-secret ground base that you shouldn’t even know about, explain why you’re here.”

Stephen didn’t cower or back down like he knew Fury wanted. He just kept eye contact. “I would like to join the Avengers Initiative.”

“Blunt.” The director’s one eye narrowed. He folded his hands in front of him. “Again; you shouldn’t know about that.” He swept a look over the wizard. “That’s highly sensitive information. Not even Stark knows everything about it.”

“I know anyway. So, Mr. Fury,” Stephen continued. “The Avengers Initiative. I want to join.”

“You can’t join.” He stood up from his seat, both hands pressing down hard against the table’s surface. “How do you know about the Avengers Initiative?” 

“I’m not asking,” he said, unfolding his arms and setting them on the table, too. He didn’t stand. “I’m with you.” 

There was a scoff from the big man. Fury leaned forward while Strange sat back. “You’re not with us, doctor. In fact, you’re nothing more than a security threat at the moment. So I’ll ask again: how do you know about the Avengers Initiative?”

“I understand that you don’t trust me, Mr. Fury, but think of Ms. Danvers for a moment.” Strange grinned as he saw the tight-jawed, bold, stone of a man turn to crumbling sand. “What would she think if she knew that you were _refusing_ someone who could help you? Right now, at this very moment, doom is coming. Earth is going to be attacked by forces even men like me can’t stop; Carol won’t come save us.”

“How do you know about—?”

“Easy. I simply read the files.” He shrugged.

“There _are_ no files!”

“I’ll tell the truth if you let me join. I’ll tell you everything I know; I don’t want to come off as arrogant like Tony Stark, but I would call myself _highly_ intelligent.” He clicked his heels against the legs of the chair. 

Fury rolled his eye. “You can’t join,” he snapped. “Stark wasn’t even a good choice.”

“Why not?” Stephen already knew the answer, but it couldn’t have been the permanent playout. It just didn’t make sense. There had to be an Avengers Initiative. There were the Avengers once, right?

“You can’t join,” Fury said, “because the Avengers Initiative has been _outvoted._ It isn’t happening. You can’t join something that doesn’t exist.” Fury slapped his hand against the table. “Tell me how you know about it!”

“I know everything, director. I know exactly who will join, who will quit, who will even die for the team,” Stephen said seriously. He put on his ring. “One more thing: I’m not just any neurosurgeon, director. I’m something much, much more; something far beyond what you could even dream. Carol Danvers can’t hold a candle to what I do.”

Fury was shaking with… well, with fury. “And what is it that you do, doctor?” he growled quietly.

Strange looked down at his new watch. He had somewhere to be. “In the words of an old friend… ‘You’re looking at life through a keyhole.’ You can’t possibly imagine what that Tesseract does, but then again”—Stephen opened a portal behind himself, walking through it—“neither could I. When you need me, just tell Darcy Lewis. See you.” 

The last thing he saw before shutting the portal was Fury’s shocked expression.

* * *

Thor stomped through the corridors down into the throne room. Maids giggled and guards huzzahed. Somewhere, he had passed Fandral crying in a corner. “Where is my weasel of a brother?” he cried out. He turned in circles, but eventually, a hand pressed against his chest to stop him. Loki’s fresh, eerily content face gave an apologetic smile. Thor wondered if he should feel on edge. Loki never smiled like that.

“Either you lied about not being in love or something is drastically wrong,” Thor mumbled. Loki shook his head.

“For all intents and purposes, I’m not,” he sighed. “Also, I hate to ask this of you, brother, but will you be my best man?”

His eyes widened. “Are you mad, Loki? You never told me about your entire wedding; I can’t stand up there unprepared!”

“Just answer the question.”

“Of course!”

“I can’t thank you enough.” Loki hugged him tightly. Thor clapped his back, rocking his brother. “Lie if you must, but this is the most important day in our lives. You have no idea.”

“You’re keeping me from my Darcy,” he chided through a grin he couldn’t suppress. “Otherwise I might agree with you.”

Loki laughed, shaking his head with joy. “I’ll send you down to her immediately, brother mine. If only it was safe to take her here it would make the day all the better.” He pulled away from the older brother. “Let’s go meet my bride, shall we?”

“I’m only coming because this is Sif’s wedding day, you know,” Thor said. They walked down to the common area. “You kept this from me. How could you?” Loki made a face, wrinkling his nose. Thor exhaled through his teeth. “You know, now that I look back, _she_ even made some comments about it.” 

“I didn’t want to lose her before I caught her,” Loki mumbled. “She loved you at one point. I didn’t want you to take her from me.”

“So… you’re saying you _do_ love her, then.” Thor looked at Loki.

“It wouldn’t benefit anything to deny it or confirm it, Thor,” he said. “Besides, our worry isn’t about my romantic feelings. It’s currently how Darcy fits in with the prevention of tragedy. How will we keep the stones from falling into Thanos’s hands _and_ bring the Avengers together?”

“I’ve been wondering the same,” he replied. “I don’t want to keep telling her she’s important if she doesn’t do anything but provide support. She deserves more than to be led on or kept on a hook. Sif will be a queen, yes, but she could have been in her own right as well.” He wiped his face. “That’s what I want for Darcy. She wouldn’t want me to give everything to her in the first place.”

Loki pat his shoulder. “Right on, brother.” He turned, seeing Sif run their way. His face lit up. Thor almost winced. It was difficult seeing this trickster be so soft toward a woman made out of leather. Then again, Loki had hardly been soft his entire life. All of this was uncomfortable.

“Loki! Thor! Have you told him, yet?” Sif asked, frowning at him. The lady turned toward Thor. “Has he told you, yet?”

“Yes, Sif,” he said, sour and humorous at the same time. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”

“Don’t be happy, yet. I’m not part of the royal family until after I deliver my vows.”

“Deliver them quickly,” Thor advised. “Father is on edge more than ever.”

Sif took each prince by the hand. “Then we better get moving. Loki’s told me about your little time fiasco, and if this helps, I’m willing. Onward, boys!”


	17. Chapter XVI: Speaking With The Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has arrived on Midgard. The Avengers are going to assemble.

Personnel were running wild, to and fro through the base. N.A.S.A. employees, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and other government bureaucrats rushing to evacuate. Nick had waited for months to find out how to use the Tesseract, but he wasn’t going to lose anyone over a power source tonight. “Agent Lewis. Agent Hill. Come with me,” Fury ordered. 

“Sir, the evacuation—,” Hill tried, but Fury turned around. 

“Maria, I want every piece of Phase Two packed up and  _ gone,” _ he told her. Darcy was looking about, obviously lost in the commotion. She was looking for someone; why else would she be trying to stand on her toes and see over the ocean of black suits and bullet-proof jackets? Nick sighed. “Agent Lewis! Come with me!”

The girl jumped. “Coming, sir!” She rushed to his side, flushed with embarrassment. Fury sniffed in disdain.  _ Rookies. _

“You’ve heard about the Tesseract’s power fluctuating, haven’t you?” he asked her as they walked down into the base. Darcy nodded. 

“Yeah. It was kind of a shock to hear about someone tampering with it. Do we have any idea how that happened?” 

“No clue, yet. That’s why we’re going to ask Doctor Selvig.” He opened the door down to the lab. “Part of me hopes it was that jerk from N.A.S.A., but somehow I feel like I already know who did it.”

“Oh, it definitely wasn’t the N.A.S.A. guy,” Agent Lewis assured him. She shoved her hands in her pockets, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “He’s a few slices short of a loaf, so it couldn’t have been him. Who do you think is responsible?”

“Someone who said you knew him. A man named Doctor Strange,” Fury said, seriousness riddled through his voice like the plague. Darcy Lewis stopped, then started giggling. “Why is that funny?”

_ “Him? _ No way! He wouldn’t endanger millions of people for the Tesseract!” she laughed. She pushed her glasses farther up her nose. “Maybe to get a taxi, but not for the Cube.” Her little joke left a smile on her face. “Um, sorry. He wouldn’t hurt anyone, Mr. Director, sir.”

“You’re certain?” 

“Of course I am.” Darcy picked up her feet a little more. The concrete floor clapped with every step she took. “He saved Thor last year and almost killed himself driving just to protect Earth.”

Fury arched a big eyebrow. “Whatever you say, kid.”

The Tesseract’s bright glow was visible from the hallway they passed through, right before they saw the contents of the lab. Erik Selvig was tinkering about with the frame the Cube sat in, worried creases set about his face. 

“Talk to me, doctor,” Fury demanded. Erik poked his head up, sighing in relief. 

“The Tesseract, director…,” he started slowly. “The Tesseract is misbehaving.”

The one-eyed nightmare sucked his teeth. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“No, sir.” Erik rubbed his hands like they were clammy. They most likely were. Things in the lab were growing taught and fearful. Most of the people in the compound hadn’t ever dealt with aliens. “She’s not only active, she’s…  _ behaving.” _ The scientist shrugged helplessly.

“That’s frightening,” Darcy murmured, clearing her throat. “Where’s Jane?”

“Jane’s trying to figure out how to reduce the effects of an explosion,” Erik replied quickly, his eyes bouncing left and right and all over the dark walls of the compound. 

“I assume you pulled the plug.” Fury scoped the area. “Be prepared for whatever is about to happen, doctor.” He shook his head, some asinine idea of penance dropping in the back of his brain. “Harvesting energy from space…”

“Where’s Barton?” Agent Lewis asked. 

Erik pointed up at the ceiling, towards the rafters. Even in his stressed state, he managed to muster up a grin. “Getting a bird’s-eye view, I believe.” 

Darcy pressed her lips together and signed up toward the rafters for Clint to come down. The archer nodded, making his way down to them. “I think we should get Stark, Fury. This seems like an Iron Man problem.”

“Oh, we don’t have a problem, yet, Agent Lewis.” Erik tucked his hands under his arms, twirling a pen between his fingers. The three of them watched Clint head their way. 

Darcy pointed to her ear, signalling for Hawkeye to turn on his hearing aid. He gave a thumb’s up. “Well, when we  _ do,” _ she emphasised, turning her head to Selvig, “Tony Stark would be perfect.”

The Tesseract shuddered with a new surge of power. They all froze, no eyes moving from the Cube. She really  _ was  _ behaving…

Clint tapped Darcy on the shoulder. She turned around. He clicked on his hearing aid. “What’d you guys need?” he asked politely. 

“What do you suppose is making her act like that?” Selvig mumbled. 

“Do you think it could be outside tampering?” Fury queried. Eyes didn’t leave the alien object. 

“If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn’t at this end.” Hawkeye pulled an arrow out of his quiver, playing with the tip. No one noticed, but the Tesseract slowly began to glow brighter. 

Fury clenched his jaw. “‘At  _ this  _ end’?”

Clint shrugged, waving his arm in gesture toward the wired-up box without looking at it more than once. “Doors open from both sides.”

A high whine pricked ears, but Fury didn’t seemed fazed, yet. “No one is going to come—”

_ “Get down!”  _ Darcy yelled. They hit the floor just in time. 

Shooting out of the Tesseract, a bright blue gleam hit the back wall. It spread along the compound like an endless wave crashing against lines or rocks. The pressure from the miniature explosion caused a wind to roll in, ruffling hair and blowing jackets. 

Kneeling in the remaining mist, a ruffled mess pushed his curly hair back with a ringed hand. A maniacal laugh echoed through the room. Blue eyes scanned the scientists and agents with a  _ very _ mischievous glint that Darcy immediately recognized. “Oh, this  _ is _ better than before…” He stood, straightened his back. He held out his spear. 

Loki turned toward the Tesseract. He smirked, pointing his spear. “I am Loki, King of Asgard and Husband of—”

“Loki! Brother of Thor!” Selvig cried, his face slack with awe. “You’re—”

“Annoyed by  _ you,” _ Loki grumbled. He looked about the compound. “How much leeway do I have?” His spear brightened. The prince—king?—turned his back and studied the portal. You could hear him say to himself, “I don’t even know how I did this before. It’s a miracle I managed at all.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Darcy whispered, gazing at all the magic around them. She didn’t know the Tesseract would do that, but it wasn’t a complete shock. It was Loki, after all. 

The god took his spear in hand once again. “I’ve come with glorious revelation. Your freedom—life’s great joy—is at stake. I’ve come as a warning.” He wet his lips, turning to meet as many gazes as possible. “My words are not to be take lightly, little mortals.”

“You said you’ve come as a warning. A warning of what, exactly?” Barton pressed. He crooked one single finger. Soldiers readied their weapons. Darcy climbed to her feet. 

“Sir,” Fury called to the apparent stranger, “please put down the spear.”

“No,” Loki said firmly. “I will not. The armies of Asgard are coming; my wife will be at their helm to try and slow them, but even the most pure of heart cannot put their morals over their home and the lives of millions. I will take the Tesseract.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Clint said quietly to Erik. The old man shook his head in agreement. 

_ If Thor’s brother is here… Where’s Thor? _ Darcy thought. 

Loki turned to the archer, gripping his scepter tightly to his own chest. “You have heart. Please try to understand that your home is going to be destroyed!” 

Clint reached on his back, pulling his bow out and extending it. “Are you threatening us, sir?”

Fury pulled the Tesseract out from its frame. “Agent Lewis, get that Doctor Strange— _ and _ the others on the list.” 

Darcy frowned at Loki with a silent apology. “Yes, director.” 

Fury began to make his way out. The door shut by itself, stopping the one-eyed man and the Tesseract. 

“Please don’t go,” he begged. “I still need that.” 

Soldiers clicked their safeties off. Loki was faster, shooting one of them down. If the soldier was dead, they were too far away to tell. Fury gaped. Darcy winced. Loki seemed to have an anguish in his eyes that she knew wouldn’t have been there if he had felt justified. Loki wasn’t the type of man to feel unnecessary remorse—she knew that from the brief time she had met him before.

“This doesn’t have to get any messier,” Fury tried again. He set the Tesseract in a shining briefcase. Darcy couldn’t see the inside, just how the Cube fit perfectly within. His knuckles paled from how tightly he held the case handle. “Please  _ put down _ the spear.”

“Of course it does.” Loki strided forward, reaching out his hands desperately. “I’ve come too far for anything else.”

“We have no quarrel with your people.” Fury took a step back from the god. 

Loki’s face quickly bore a sour expression. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot! Now— _ please!” _

“Fury,” Darcy called. The director didn’t face her, just staring at the new predicament. Loki turned toward her, grateful. She shook her head at him.  _ Not yet. _ “Fury, I think we should listen.”

“Have you gone insane, Agent Lewis?”

There was a dangerous tension growing. Understandable between the five of them, but she could just see the strain on the ceiling. Her heart thumped, and a new sensation inside her bloomed. Everyone next to her winced. 

“I haven’t gone anything, but I think we’ll all go  _ dead  _ if we don’t leave. The roof is cracking!” she pointed out. 

The large blue cloud up above only got heavier. It was pulsing dangerously. The floors, beakers, and walls started shaking. The director looked at everyone and everything.

“Everyone out!” Fury ordered. 

Barton, Loki, and Selvig all looked up. Loki took Darcy’s hand. No one had much time, but the five of them managed to get in a car together. 

“Start the car, start the car!” Selvig panicked. He, Darcy, and Loki were in the backseat. Clint was in shotgun, his head out the window and a crossbow at the ready. Fury turned ignition. 

“Why are you here, Loki of Asgard?” Fury yelled over the engine.

“My brother and my wife are assembling armies to attack Midg—  _ Earth,”  _ he answered, stumbling on his words. He shut his eyes, wetting his lips. “My brother will come to fight the armada with you, but I have to take the Tesseract before your planet gets wiped out. If I take it with me, the attack on your world would be stopped. Oh! And I need to speak with Stephen Strange immediately.”

They sped down the exit tunnel. Erik held onto his seat like he would fly out. Darcy was squeezing Loki’s hand desperately. The staff was laid across their laps, shaking and bouncing occasionally with the rest of them.

“Oh, hell no!” Fury looked back at them. “So you’re saying that as of now, we’re at war? Oh, shoot me in the  _ head.” _

“Yes,” he said. “But before I can explain anything, I need Stephen Strange.”

Darcy was texting away, taking in as much as she could of the conversation. She sent a message to Phil Coulson, hopeful that they could verify the coming attack for everyone else. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Loki… but she knew others definitely wouldn’t.  _ Get Stark; send him the Initiative. Find Stephen Strange.  _

She looked out the window, watching the compound crumble. “Loki, you better have a great explanation,” she whispered. “Or I might leave your wife a widow.”

* * *

Tony Stark was feeling pretty good about himself. He was having a neurosurgeon take a peek at his arc reactor— _ someone _ had finally found a way to prevent any more flaws—and he was with Pepper (who wasn’t going to let him get away with anymore dying-to-death shenanigans, anyway). Whoever that Dr. Strange dude was, he could be annoying, sometimes, yeah, but he did his job better than Tony could have asked. It was like he was some kind of magician.

“So, how does it feel to be a genius?” he asked Miss Potts, kissing her strawberry blonde hair. He put an arm over her shoulder as she snuggled up close to him. They fell on the couch. 

“Well, I wouldn’t know, now would I?” she teased, resting her head on his shoulder. She handed him a glass of champagne.

He took the glass.“What do you mean? All this”—Tony gestured around the penthouse to signify the entirety of the tower—“came from  _ you,” _ he reminded her, stretching his arms. They were sore from moving all that armor and moving things from  _ inside _ the armor. Something about turning the power off and watching Stark Tower light up by itself was magical—like it was something that was  _ meant _ to happen. He had the slight feeling that Stark Tower was going to be a part of something bigger, but probably not too big. 

“No, Tony; all this came from  _ that,” _ Pepper smirked, tapping his arc reactor. He sighed. 

“Give yourself some credit. Please,” Tony begged. He took her hands and kissed them. “Stark Tower is your baby.” He thought for half a second. “Give yourself twelve percent of the credit.”

“Twelve percent?” she asked, laughing but still feigning irritation. Er,  _ mostly. _

“An argument can be made for fifteen,” the billionaire relented.

“Twelve percent? My baby?” she laughed. She took a drink from her champagne glass.

He pressed his forehead against the side of her head. He nuzzled her affectionately. “You know, I  _ did _ do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And that security snafu? That was on you. My private elevator—”

The dreaded machine itself chimed before he even got to bring up the sweaty workmen. Tony’s mouth twisted. He stood up. Why was his date night always ruined? Did he ever get to spend ten minutes alone with Pepper?  _ Without _ a meeting, work, or something to interrupt them?

“Tony, where are you—?”

“Who’s that at the door, Pep?” he questioned, impatient and irritated. This was supposed to be his night off. This was supposed to be their  _ date.  _

Together. 

_ Alone. _

“I don’t know, Tony, I’ll have to let them in,” she responded calmly. Pepper walked over to greet their visitor, but the genius just sat and pouted for another thirty seconds. He crossed his arms like a child as he waited to see who had paid them a visit.

“Hi, Pepper,” a familiar voice came. Tony sighed. He couldn’t stay mad at  _ him…  _

“Phil! It’s so nice to see you,” Pepper laughed. “How have you been? What brings you here?” She brought Phil into the penthouse. He was carrying a computer in his hands, grinning shyly at Pep and the rest of the interior.

“I can’t stay,” he said. “But I brought some files. Something’s come up, Pepper.”

“Wha— _ Phil?  _ We’re going on a first-name basis, now?” Tony demanded, rushing to intercept their untimely guest. “His name is ‘Agent’.” 

Phil held out a computer. “We need you to go over these as soon as possible.”

Tony sneered at it. “I don’t like being handed things.”

“I  _ love _ being handed things,” Pepper countered, taking the computer and giving it to Tony. He snatched it, eyes never leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. man. “Does this have anything to do with the Avengers Initiative?” Her face twisted for a tick, but then she grinned. “That I  _ don’t _ know anything about,” she added on quickly.

“Yeah, the one I was too arrogant to join?” Tony scoffed, looking through all the files. He swiped through each different picture and video. He recognized Captain America, Bruce Banner and his Hulk, Clint Barton, Natasha, but there were two new people. One was Thor, who he had heard about in the news, but there was a weirdo in scrubs with nothing really going for him. He  _ knew  _ that weirdo! “Phil? So, uh, why’s  _ this _ guy in the file?”

“Oh. That’s Doctor Stephen Strange,” Phil answered. “He’s a medical genius and a master of mystic arts.”

“Master of mystic arts?” A hysteric laugh slipped through his lips. His heart stopped as the reality set in. “The dude’s a wizard?”

Phil nodded. “Yeah.”

“He doesn’t look like one. No cape,” he said. “I could shoot him down easy.”

Coulson grinned knowingly, holding out a hand. “Stark, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., we would like you to join the Avengers Initiative.”


	18. Chapter XVII: Forget and Forgive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor sat down at the table next to his new sister in law and his mother. “Do not think that I am going to let your deception go because of Father’s wish for war.”  
> +-+--  
> The Avengers are assembling. Odin's coming.

“Alright, Loki of Asgard,” a gruff voice came through the door, “we got your Stephen Strange.” The voice sounded like Nicholas J. Fury’s, but it was without the anger and short temper. What did linger, however, was the suspicion and accusatory tone weaved within an impatient undercurrent. 

Stephen, somewhat nervous, scratched his shadowed face. It had been close to a year since he had seen Loki or Thor in person. It didn’t feel that long, nor did it feel that short, either. Almost an entire year had gone by since Thor killed Laufey. Almost an entire year had gone by since Darcy Lewis had influenced Time Herself. Through all the excitement of this adventure, this  _ sit and wait, _ it chilled Stephen to the bone. Darcy was still important, but he wasn’t sure exactly how.  _ This is like a  _ Matrix _ situation, _ Stephen thought. 

He looked around for something else to take his attention for one moment. The clock up on the wall was broken; it hadn’t ticked the entire time the doctor had been there. It just made him uncomfortable. 

He flexed his fingers before opening the door gingerly, nerves from his elbows down feeling stiff with a dull ache.  _ Something else, something else… _ And finally, suddenly, a voice hoisted him out of his sea of pensivity. “…come in, Doctor Strange.”

He stepped through the frame, closing the door before he really got his foot out. “Good evening. Morning, maybe. Hi.” He sat down next to Loki and Darcy. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, with Erik Selvig, Maria Hill, and an agent he didn’t recognize sitting opposite to them at the long, sleek wooden table. Strange knew it was silly to notice, but the table was expensive — black and exotic. The finish was polished like a gym floor without the sticky-glossy look. Director Fury was standing at the head of the table, hands spread shoulder-width apart. 

So S.H.I.E.L.D. had money.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was not to be trusted.

“The Cube?” he mumbled quickly to Loki.

The prince’s words were barely audible, certainly not loud enough for the wannabe pirate to hear. “Fury has it.”

Strange hummed. He fiddled with his fingernails. “I take it that you’re not leading the Chitauri, are you?” he continued. He didn’t dare move his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Loki duck his head and wipe his nose.

“I got married,” the god replied quietly. “It’s my father who’s trying to take the Cube, now.”

“We talked about—,” Stephen tried, feeling his patience already chipping away. He hadn’t seen Loki or Thor in months, instead treating Tony to try and prevent reckless behavior in the future, but yet it seemed as if the princes were more reckless combined than anticipated. Strange hissed through gnashed teeth, “We talked about trying to  _ maintain the same timeline.” _

“Maybe I wanted to try and prevent Ragnarok,” Loki countered, a bit of snark slipping into his words. “Did you ever think about that? Perhaps your ‘looming threat’ could feel intimidated by kings of Asgard and leave us alone. I was supposed to be king, but that is an explanation best saved for later.” He used air quotations, rolling his eyes. The god scratched his chin, his finger presenting a pewter wedding band to solidify his argument, oh, he knew he was just making the doctor angry; Strange could feel it, too, bubbling up from a simmer to a boil.

“So you got married instead?” he asked. Loki opened his mouth to talk, but Stephen was faster. “You  _ know _ that is the most important thing right now—” 

“Whatever you two are  _ really  _ bickering about,” Fury warned, “you better get it resolved or forget about it. Right now we have to take care of this apparent war.”

“How? You’re just a huge organization with billions of dollars,” Stephen spat.

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. “Keep your mouth shut, doctor, we don’t need your input right now.”

No input? “Pardon me for saying so, but you obviously do.” He crossed his arms and tucked his fingers near his torso. “Am I in or no?”

“You’re going to be part of the Avengers Initiative,” Darcy said, beaming. “Loki’s going to be with you, as well as Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, Bruce Banner,”—Loki shuddered aloud—“Tony Stark, and Captain America.”

“Quite a team you have.”

“Thanks. When will Thor be here?”

“No clue,” Loki and Stephen chimed together.

Loki scratched at his palms and rubbed his fingers together. He sat up. “He’s trying to keep our father’s favor, at the moment. He doesn’t want to lose the advantage we have; with the rate of Asgard’s war development, it could be today, tonight, or even overmorrow.” 

“Then assemble the team,” Fury said. “Agent Lewis, do what you do best. Strange, don’t get on my nerves, and Loki—”

“You’re not in charge of me.” He sat up and stuck his thumbs in his leather lapel. “My wife is expecting me to come back whole. I trust you know how to do that?”

“Whatever.” Fury rolled his eye. “Lewis. Get  _ only _ the people on that list. No one else. Tell Romanoff and Barton to close in if necessary.”

“Of course,” Darcy answered. She stood up, tapping Loki and Stephen. “Come on. No one wants war, guys. I feel like getting a popsicle mad at us.” 

“What’s a popsicle?” Loki mumbled. 

* * *

“Is there any reason you have asked me here?” 

Frigga hung her head. Sif looked anywhere but him, twisting the new ring ’round her finger. 

She was supposed to have been crowned yesterday. It never happened. Odin never even stepped into the throne room to officiate. Frigga had to do the wedding, but alas—this was all she could do. No one saw even a hair of the Allfather until near midnight.

That was the call to war. 

“You could dance around the reason for eons, you know.” Thor sat down at the table next to his new sister in law and his mother. His heart felt heavy in its cage, beating slowly with a grief he couldn’t describe. The table was quiet. His brother almost got married without telling him, which wasn’t too much of a surprise, but he couldn’t believe that it was his own mother and  _ Sif _ who had kept it from him too. “Do not think that I am going to let your deception go just because Father wishes for war.”

Frigga was the first one to speak up. Sif jumped when she did. “We didn’t intentionally—”

“You didn’t intentionally tell me, either, did you?” He glared. He never glared at his mother. 

Frigga sighed heavily. “I suggested they marry; be mad at me.”

“I will be. But for now, we have to work together to save the mortals.”

“Why would the Allfather want to wage war on an innocent realm in the first place?” Sif asked. “Their resources aren’t beneficial to us. They’re not ready to fight fairly with us.”

“In the past, he colonized whether or not there was a fair fight,” Frigga said reluctantly. “But I’ll agree with you, Sif.  _ War _ straight away is… quite unlike him.” She swallowed.

Thor heaved a heavy sigh, shaking his head. He ran fingers through his hair, but nothing eased the impending sense of catastrophe. He missed Darcy’s wisecracks. They would have lightened the mood by thousands of pounds. “Father’s past is not going to be Asgard’s future,” he said, although more for himself than for the queen or the Captain of the Guard. “Cannot we get a court physician to declare him unfit to rule?”

Sif shook her head. “None would dare risk their life over words, Thor. the Allfather—” She stopped, wetting her lips.  _ “—Odin  _ doesn’t care that he’s going mad, either. He’s spiraling out of control.”

“Then they’re all cowards.” He stood up, throwing whatever his hand could reach. An empty golden goblet flew against the wall, causing Frigga to wince. “He can’t just expect us to lead the armies onto Earth! Loki’s down there, my Darcy is down there, and innocents are down there! I would be worried about Stephen Strange but the Norns  _ know _ his strengths have secrets beyond the fabric of time.”

“You call it Earth,” Frigga noticed. Her eyebrows raised. “You used to call it Midgard. How much did you grow while you were away?”

“Away from where?” he snapped, momentarily forgetting his mother already knew about Time being meddled with. His mind was filled with dread. He felt like he was around that Maximoff girl… nightmares filling his brain and suffocating any remaining hope… She wouldn’t even be an Avenger, would she?

The armies of Asgard were coming. Somehow, he felt as if it were  _ his _ fault. Futures would be destroyed, houses would be demolished, and his conscious would never be cleared. 

“Do I really have to clarify, Thor? We all know what I meant. What did you go through, darling?” Her eyes gave away the concern in her soul, the worry she possessed only for her children.

“Loki died,” he started, “but not really. Twice. He fell from the Bi-Frost the first time and was dying in my arms the second. Many of my friends fell in battle. I watched many innocents lose their lives because of me. What do you think I have gone through? I was a fool not even a year ago when  _ you _ last saw me, but to me, it was almost five years ago that I watched my mother die and two since my father died. Not to mention that I have a  _ sister.” _ Frigga pulled a face of shock, like she had no idea he knew. Thor didn’t want to get into anything about Hela, yet. “That universe has been written over. It no longer exists anywhere except me, Loki, and a mortal man.” He sat down, eyes burning. “What do you think I have gone through, Mother?”

Thor had always felt so close to his mother, but within the past year, he had barely seen her. He didn’t want to. He was far from the boy who would kiss his mother every morning or ask her what doublet would go best with his hair. He didn’t even like the same things that he had in his original 2011. He was different. What mother would love a stranger? 

Frigga sighed deeply, eyes shining and colored red. “Oh, my son, I wish I could comfort you by saying I understand, but… I don’t.” The queen released a shuddering sigh. Thor Sif set a hand on top of hers, then put the other on Thor’s shoulder. 

“We’re all together, now. We have to do our best to minimize the damages.” The newlywed rested her head against the Allmother, slipping her hand into the thunder god’s. “Loki has told me enough… I know he’ll come back safely. If he’s with your Darcy and that magician, what could go wrong?”

“Have you  _ met _ my father?” Thor asked. “Everything could go wrong. With the powers of the Allfather, he could simply will Earth to be destroyed. Instead, he wants to subjugate humanity. When was the last time he wanted that?”

Frigga shook her head, realizing how insane Odin could possibly be. “The last time was over a thousand years ago. He… He thought against it at the last moment.” By her hesitation, Thor knew she was talking about Hela. He didn’t push it. He didn’t want to kill his sister again — he didn’t know if he had the strength. He knew he definitely couldn’t ask any more questions at the moment. 

“We need to contact Loki on Earth. Stall the armies all you can, Sif.” Thor made eye contact with the captain, finally sitting back at the table. Frigga smiled at them both. 

“Loki will love you two so much more for helping him, dears.” She kissed their heads. For a moment, the marching drums of war seemed eons away. “Gather Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun. They’ll be leading the sectors, won’t they?”

“Yes,” Sif said. “The men will be informed sooner or later, but they have no quarrel with Midgard as far as I know. Thor, you’ll need to meet Lady Darcy once more.”

“And you? What will you do?” Thor asked. Usually, Sif would talk about her own agenda or her role first. 

Sif gave a forced, wary smile. She set her hand on her hips. “I’ve been sick recently. I’ll be monitoring everything from here—try my best to train new soldiers and teach them the code.”

“Well, _my_ _Queen,”_ Thor half-joked, “try to speed up the process. Lives depend on it.”

If only they knew. 

* * *

Steven Grant Rogers sat on a bench, unwrapping aching hands.  _ One, two, three, four, five.  _ Five loops of linen gone. Days, weeks, years, all gone and passed. Peggy missed a dance. He missed seventy years of his life.  _ Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen.  _ Nothing had changed about him, but everything else had. He was still angry about Nazis, about his girl, about his friends who had fallen and the innocents that were slaughtered.  _ Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four.  _ He lost everything because of a war.

Yet, somehow, he didn’t regret a single thing. Instead, he felt something new. He wasn’t used to the sense of danger the future brought. He wasn’t used to the fear. He didn’t trust the glowing lights and boxes pressed into his hands; he didn’t know if he would ever stop expecting the worst from the new automobiles, but yet, at the same time, Steve  _ liked it.  _ He couldn’t get enough of it.

That fueled him, now. Maybe it was temporary, maybe not, but he had nothing left but the next adventure and the next chance to help someone innocent. 

The innards of the punching bag were spilled across the cement floor. His knees were sore from the day’s boredom, along with his arms and his back. His neck was cold from sweat. He broke the bag. This was the fifth this week. With shining, red knuckles and a sad sigh, he grabbed the broken sandbag and dragged it over to the corner of the basement of a boxing gym that he was seeing more than his own home. 

_ Home.  _

Funny word. Home wasn’t anywhere in Brooklyn, nowhere in New York City. Home was the thumping heart in his chest that never seemed to slow down; it was the adrenaline high he could get from punching a punching bag before looking to actually take in this new United States. Home was the thrill, now, rather than any certain place.

“You’ll get scars if you keep up that performance,” a cool voice said from behind him. Steve straightened, wiping his face. He didn’t turn to face the woman, so her words continued. “Your hands will get busted up, your face will get crusty from the sweat… not good, Cap.”

“Not to be rude, ma’am, but how did you get in here?” he asked, grabbing a towel, dabbed at his skin. “This is private property.”

“You actually bought this gym?” the woman asked, standing… well, she wasn’t alone. Two dark-haired, tall men stood together, hovering around her protectively. The girl herself had square glasses, a sleek overcoat, and platform heels with grey socks. She had a hat on over her hair and a scarf made out of yarn. “Wow. I heard you’d bought some big property, but I thought it’d be a house, ya know? Like a big, nice house. My boyfriend has a  _ reallllly _ big house.” The girl elbowed the man to her right. “I get to see it soon, right?”

Boyfriend? The man to her right didn’t  _ look _ like her type… but what did an old man like Steve know? The man to the right was dressed like a clown: gold, green, and black leather clothes that looked like some wacky suit. His greasy hair made him look like the personification of a scab. Somehow, despite his odd appearance, he was (what he could guess from the pictures back in  _ his _ Brooklyn) handsome. The other man had a scraggly face, scrubs, and running shoes that were more than worn out. His eyes had smile lines but without the smile. 

“Who are you guys?” he asked, exhaling loudly. He tossed his towel onto the bench. “What do you want? Did Fury send you?”

“Yeah, he did,” the woman said with a smirk. She pushed up her glasses and stepped forward with an extended hand. Steve took it. With a firm, strong grip, she shook it and released without lingering. “I’m Agent Darcy Lewis, political scientist, astrophysicist-in-training, and professional diplomat. These are my associates, Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief and Lies, sorcerer, and Doctor Stephen Strange, PhD and MD, sorcerer. Also, thanks for not doing the weird lobster handshake old men do.”

Steve’s days were getting wilder and wilder. “Uh, you’re welcome. What does Fury want? He knows I’m not… you know.”

“He wants you to become Earth’s mightiest hero and protect its citizens from the oncoming threat of Asgard’s armies. Led by my boyfriend, ironically.” She  _ hmphed _ with satisfaction. “Loki’s brother, Thor.”

“The guy who caused the crater in New Mexico?”

“Yeah, he’s a peach. Stephen, what else are we going up against?”

The man in scrubs cleared his throat. “Time is interfering with the situation. We have to act quickly before She can override any changes that we’ve made. If we don’t, then Earth could fall if the Avengers aren’t brought together and Odin isn’t defeated.” He ran his fingernails along his jawline. “This battle is a little more than what the Captain is used to, I’m sure, but if he can’t do it…”

“I’ll do it,” Steve said before he could tell his mouth to say  _ “no.” _ “I’ll do it. What do I need?”

“Nothing more than what you already have,” Darcy said. She handed him a green manilla file, holding herself straight as she stepped back with the other men she had brought. “I’ll see you soon, Captain Rogers.”

“…See you soon, Agent Lewis.”

* * *

Natasha Romanoff didn’t  _ want _ to see a man who could crush her like… like a  _ bug. _ Standing inside an abandoned hut with nothing but an advanced ASP pistol behind her dress didn’t exactly make her feel much safer, either. Darkness had fallen hours ago. She had been here since sunset. 

How long could she wait before she started freaking out?

There were many things she wasn’t afraid of, and many more things that terrified her to the bone. She didn’t want to go out without a fight. She was nervous; she would be the bigger woman and admit it. She had done dangerous jobs before, worse than this, but she had never fought someone who could single-handedly take down an entire city.

Safe to say, Nat didn’t want to be some smear on the wall.

“Come on,” she said quietly to herself. “He’ll be here any second. Stay calm.” She rolled neck, flexed her fingers. The air was humid, yet her digits were cold. Her neck was sweating, but her blood was chilled. How did you calm the personification of anger? What happened if this Bruce Banner lost control?

So many run-ins with the  _ incredible Hulk _ had led to the following information about it: It was bullet-proof. It was as large as a BMW SUV on its hind wheels. Its jumping range was near sixteen-thousand feet in one bound, but only radially. Laterally, it was four-hundred feet. With one punch, it could kill a man. If Nat didn’t play her cards right, she could end up dead.

How do you keep someone calm if you don’t know them?

Orders had been made to have as much firepower outside the hut as possible. If Nat ended up as some smear, at least there would be a wounded or dead Hulk instead of an alive one. If this Doctor Jekyll lost all control of his Hyde, she felt comfort by knowing she could be one of the only casualties instead of the start of them.

Her fears doubled when she heard the door open. She fought to keep her emotions down and focused instead on being the character that would suit Banner best.

“…where? Oh.  _ Oh,” _ a husky-but-gentle voice came. Gentle was a feature Nat did not associate the name  _ Bruce Banner _ with. A mousy man with greying, but not quite, hair lurked into the room. “Why am I not surprised?”

The little girl Natasha had hired ran inside, opening her hand for payment. Nat set a fat roll in her hand and pushed her along. The sooner she was safe, the sooner the ugly business could be started.

“Maybe it’s because you’re always suspicious,” she replied. She sat down at the one table in the hut, crossing her legs and laying her hands in front of her to appear trusting and open. Banner narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was her face that gave it away. She gave him a smile. “You’re being recruited by Nick Fury.”

“And what does he want?” Bruce probed. 

“He wants what I want,” Nat said. “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.”

The doctor scoffed. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means war is coming, Doctor Banner—and we need  _ you _ to help us prepare.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't updated!!!! DX Life has been getting in the way and I needed to block this section really badly. Thank you guys so much for reading this <3 Happy Valentine's Day!


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